Bistek and Bistec Slow Cooked Beef Strip Stew Recipes
The Filipino beef steak stew dish Bistek Tagalog, is also known in the Spanish-speaking countries as bistec encebollado or bistec tagalo. The simple dish is made using strips of salted and peppered beef, that are generally flattened with a meat tenderizer. The beef, sometimes pork, strips are slow cooked in soy sauce, calamansi or lemon juice, garlic. Onions, generally cut into rings, and added raw late in the cooking phase to just cook and soften the onions, which retain their crunchy texture. Sometimes browned butter us used to add richness to the dish. Bistek or bistec is usually served in a casserole dish with rice, vegetables and flat breads as side dishes. The tenderizing, slow cooking and citrus ensures that the beef is tender and delicious. It is a one-pot dish that is easy to prepare and will be enjoyed by all the family. For extra flavor it pays to marinade the beef for 1-2 hours in a combination of calamansi juice (or other citrus), soy sauce and ground black pepper in a bowl or ziplock bag. The dish is ideal for slow-cookers. Using tender cuts of beef (sirloin, eye-fillet, top round,, pork or even lamb helps ensure the meat is tender and full of flavor. Discover how to make this easy and delightful dish with this collection of best ever recipes.
Filipino Style Bistek Tagalog (beefsteak) Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 onion, sliced into rings
- 1 cup water, or beef stock
- 3 cloves garlic, well minced
- 4 pieces calamansi or 2 lemon quarters
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons grape seed, or rice bran oil for frying
- 1 1/2 lbs (750 g) beef sirloin, or eye-fillet, thinly sliced into strips, and pounded with a meat tenderizer
Method
Combine the lemon (or calamansi), soy sauce and ground black pepper in a bowl or ziplock bag. Add the tenderized beef strips, and marinade for 1-2 hour (or overnight). Heat the cooking oil in a heavy, deep pan of Dutch oven. Pan-fry half of the onions until they soften and become golden brown, then set aside. Drain the marinade from the beef., keeping the liquid for later use. Then, pan-fry the beef for 1 minute per side, and set aside. Next, using the same pan saute garlic and remaining raw onions, only until the onion becomes transparent and partially soft, and set aside. Next, pour the saved marinade, stock or water into the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the beef. Cover the pan and simmer gently until meat is just tender. Add the pan-fried and partially fried onions and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot topped with fresh herbs and with rice and vegetable side dishes.
Bistek Stew Recipe with Burnt Butter, Orange and Lemon Juice
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 10 fresh bay leaves
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 rib-eye steaks (about 1 1/2 pounds; 750 g)
- 1 large white onion, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 1/2 orange)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 whole lemons)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Prepare the fillet steaks by halving each one horizontally., Then slice each half, across the grain into 5 or 6 thin slices. and set aside.
Next, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or heavy, deep frying pan. Add the bay leaves, twisted to bruise them, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and set aside. Add the chopped garlic and stir-fry over moderate to high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside with the bay leaves. Add the onion rounds season with salt, and cook without flipping on one side only until the onions just start to brown underneath (about 2 minutes). Remove the onions and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and heat over high heat until very hot. Season the thin beef slices all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear the beef in small batches until caramelized and golden brown (like mini steaks!) but rare inside (about 1 to 2 minutes). Set the cooked beef aside. Next, add the butter to the skillet and cook over moderate to high heat, swirling the pan, until the butter starts to turn browned (about 1-2 minutes). Add the orange juice, lemon juice, and soy sauce and cook while stirring until the sauce glossy and has thickened a little (about 2-3 minutes). Add the steak garlic and onions, stirring to cook through. Top with fresh herbs and serve immediately with steamed rice, tomatoes and vegetables.
Classic Mexican Style Seared Beef Strips Stew Recipe with Coriander and tomato (bistec a la Mexicana)
Ingredients
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of grape seed or rice bran oil
- 1 white onion, halved, and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 1 green capsicum, seeds removed, cut into thin slices
- 500 g ( 1 lb) rump or rib-eye steak, cut into thin strips
- 400 g ( 12 oz) tomato, skin and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- steamed rice, to serve
- warm tortillas, to serve
Method
Combine the green onion, beef strips, salt and 1 tablespoon of oil in a small bowl and mix well to coat all over. Cover and marinate for 20-60 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or Dutch oven over high heat. Add about half the beef and fry, stirring, for about 2 minutes until evenly browned on the outside, but medium-rare inside. Remove the beef from the frying pan and set aside. Repeat and fry the other half of the beat. Then, reduce the heat to moderate, add the garlic, onion, chilli and green capsicum, and cook for about 3–6 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften. Then, increase the heat setting to high, add the chopped tomato and cook for about 3–5 minutes. Add the beef back into the frying pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, stirring through the sauce. Season to taste and serve hot sprinkled with coriander. Serve with hot steamed rice, fresh herbs and tortillas.
Bistec Encebollao Recipe with Marinated Beef
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef sirloin, or eye-fillet steak, sliced thinly across the grain
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 packet sazon seasoning, or similar
- 2 large white onions, sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup white vinegar, or wine vinegar
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
Using a large resealable ziplock bag, combine the steak, sazon seasoning, onions, vinegar, beef stock, olive oil, garlic, oregano and salt. Seal the bag and massage well to mix. Set aside in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours or overnight. Next, transfer the entire contents of the bag into a Dutch oven or a large deep, heavy skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a very low setting. Cover and simmer, very gently, stirring regularly, until the beef is fork tender, (about 40-50 minutes). Serve topped with fresh herbs, and with rice and flat breads on the side.