Tasty Filipino Beef With Onions

My go-to Filipino dish for years has been this mouthwatering Bistek Tagalog, which turns ordinary beef cuts into a taste sensation with the perfect mix of tangy citrus and deep soy flavor. When those juicy beef slices meet sweet onions, you've got a comfort meal that brings authentic Filipino vibes straight to your dinner table.

I picked up this dish from my Filipino friend next door who swore by letting the meat soak overnight. I've tried both quick and overnight marinating, and I've gotta admit - she wasn't kidding about how much better the flavor gets with time.

Ingredients

• Beef sirloin: This tender, lean cut soaks up flavors wonderfully. Try to find meat with a bit of fat marbling for the juiciest results.
• Soy sauce: Forms the salty foundation of the dish. For the real deal, grab Silver Swan or another Filipino brand.
• Calamansi or lemon: Makes the meat tender and cuts through the saltiness. Always go for fresh squeezed juice.
• Onions: Cut into rings that turn deliciously sweet when cooked. Yellow onions work best for their natural sweetness.
• Garlic: Adds wonderful aroma when freshly chopped. Skip the jar stuff and crush some cloves instead.
• Black pepper: Crack it fresh for a mild heat that works with everything else.
• Cooking oil: Stick with something plain like canola or vegetable for cooking everything up.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Marinate the Beef:

Mix your thin beef sirloin slices with calamansi juice (or lemon), soy sauce, and some fresh ground pepper in a glass container. Make sure every beef slice gets coated. Cover it up and stick it in the fridge for at least an hour, but leaving it overnight will really transform the taste. The citrus juice starts breaking down the meat, making it super tender.

Prepare the Onions:

Get your pan hot with some oil over medium heat. Toss in half your onion rings and cook them for around 5 minutes, giving them a stir now and then until they're soft and see-through. Don't let them get too brown. Take them out and put them on a paper towel to get rid of extra oil. You'll use these tasty onions as a topping later.

Sear the Beef:

Take the beef out of its marinade but save that liquid for later. Add a bit more oil to your pan if needed and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook the beef slices quickly, about a minute on each side. Don't crowd the pan – cook in batches so they sear instead of steam. You want them just a little caramelized. Once done, set them aside.

Create the Sauce Base:

Turn down the heat to medium-low and add some oil if the pan's dry. Throw in your minced garlic and the rest of your raw onion rings. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onions start getting soft and you can smell that garlic. All those tasty bits stuck to the pan from the beef will mix in, making everything more flavorful.

Simmer to Perfection:

Pour that saved marinade into the pan with some water. Scrape up all the brown stuff from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let it come to a gentle boil, then turn it down to simmer. Put the beef back in, spreading it out in the sauce. Cover and let it cook gently for 25-30 minutes until the beef feels tender when you poke it. Check it sometimes and add water if the sauce gets too thick.

Final Seasoning and Serving:

Give the sauce a taste and add some pepper or a tiny bit of salt if needed. Remember, soy sauce is already pretty salty, so go easy. Top everything with those pan-fried onions you saved right before serving. This keeps them a bit crisp. Serve it hot with white rice that'll soak up all that yummy sauce.

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What really makes this dish special for me is using calamansi. These tiny fruits that look like lime-orange hybrids are a Filipino cooking staple. The first time I swapped lemons for these little gems, the flavor instantly took me back to a kitchen in Manila. If you can track them down at an Asian market, they're totally worth the hunt.

Perfect Rice Pairing

You can't have Bistek Tagalog without steamed white rice, particularly the fragrant jasmine kind. The soft rice soaks up all that tasty sauce just right. For a true Filipino experience, cook your rice slightly stickier than usual, not all fluffy and separate. This type of rice works amazingly with the tangy sauce, letting you scoop up every bit with your rice.

Storage and Reheating

This dish actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge for 2-3 days in a sealed container, as the beef keeps soaking up all those flavors. When you want to eat it again, just add a splash of water to thin the sauce and warm it slowly on medium-low until it's just heated. Don't use high heat or the microwave as they'll make your beef tough. Add those onions fresh after reheating instead of storing them with the beef.

The History Behind Bistek

The name Bistek comes from Spanish "bistec" (beefsteak), showing how Spanish colonizers influenced Filipino food. Before the Spanish arrived, traditional Filipino cooking rarely used beef and focused more on pork, chicken and seafood. This mix shows the beautiful food fusion that makes Filipino cuisine special. Adding soy sauce and citrus was the Filipino twist that changed the original Spanish dish into the Bistek Tagalog everyone loves across the Philippines today.

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There's something really special about Bistek Tagalog that brings people together around the table, showing off all the best flavors Filipino cooking has to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ What kind of beef is best for Bistek Tagalog?

Sirloin is the go-to cut for Bistek Tagalog because it's flavorful and gets nice and soft when cooked right. If you want to splurge, try tenderloin for an extra tender version. On a budget? Flank steak works too, but you might need to adjust how long you cook it.

→ What is calamansi and what can I substitute it with?

Calamansi is a tiny citrus fruit widely used in Filipino cooking. It's got a special sweet-tart taste somewhere between a lime and a mandarin. Can't find it? No problem - use lemon juice (like our recipe mentions), lime juice, or mix some orange and lemon juice together to get closer to that unique flavor.

→ Can I make Bistek Tagalog ahead of time?

Absolutely! The flavors in Bistek Tagalog actually get better with time. Make it a day before you need it and keep it in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, just warm it up slowly on the stove. Add a little water if the sauce looks too thick.

→ What sides go well with Bistek Tagalog?

The classic way to serve Bistek Tagalog is with a big scoop of plain white rice. Other great sides that go well with it are stir-fried greens like bok choy or water spinach, a fresh tomato salad, or some tangy pickled papaya (called atchara) to cut through the rich flavors.

→ How can I make the beef more tender?

For super tender beef, let it soak in the marinade overnight instead of just an hour. Also, cut your beef really thin and make sure to slice against the grain. A neat trick is to pop the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes first - this makes it easier to get those thin slices. And don't cook it too long - just simmer it gently until it's soft.

→ Can I make a vegetarian version of this dish?

Sure you can! Try swapping the beef for firm tofu, seitan, or big portobello mushroom caps. You'll use the same tasty marinade and cooking steps, but your cooking time will be shorter. The soy and citrus flavors work really well with these meat alternatives too.