'BISTEK TAGALOG" ("Beef Steak")

It's been a busy weekend! We had fun at the Queen Mary for the Star Trek Tour! I had my fix of steak, hotdog, cookies, and yes...fried food!

Well, coming back home, I definitely missed Filipino food. BUT, I still wanted some steak! And so, I decided to make "BISTEK TAGALOG". Fair enough ha.

I really like my Bistek Tagalog sour - with lots and lots of "kalamansi" and brown "sabaw"!

Well, my husband doesn't like his bistek too sour and requested that I make the sauce thicker.

So, I had to modify the recipe by using constarch to thicken the sauce, used less kalamansi and added just a little sugar (or Splenda) to lessen the sour taste. It turned out well, and it was delicious!

[CHICHAY TIP: The recipe here included the option of adding the sugar and cornstarch, but if you really want to have the traditional "Bistek Tagalog", then I suggest that you ignore these additional ingredients. Feel free to use more/less kalamansi - based on your sour taste preference as well.]

- CHICHAY

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"BISTEK TAGALOG"

What You Need:

1 lb beef sirloin, thinly sliced

3 tbsp juice of calamansi

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, sliced crosswise (into ring)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar or a pinch of Splenda (optional)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup hot water (optional: add 1 tsp cornstarch to thicken the sauce)

marinade

3 tbsp juice of kalamansi

2 tbsp soysauce

Prep:

Marinate beef for about 30 minutes.

How To:

-Heat oil and butter in a frying pan

-Fry the onion rings in 1 tbsp olive oil, until lightly brown.

-Remove onions from frying pan and set aside.

-Drain beef slices from marinade (and reserve marinade).

-Sautè beef in the same frying pan (use the rest of the olive oil and butter) for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn to cook other side for 1 to 2 minutes.

-Transfer the meat to a dish and set aside.

-Combine sugar, calamansi juice, soy sauce and water (with 1 tsp cornstarch - optional).

-Stir this into frying-pan together with reserved marinade let simmer over low heat for about 2 minutes stirring constantly.

-Return onion and meat to the pan, add in the ground pepper, and let simmer about 1-2 minutes.

-Turn off heat, cover the pan, and let rest on the pan for 2 minutes.

-Serve with steamed rice.