Bistek (Filipino Beef Steak)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

This must-try recipe for Filipino bistek, or beef steak, uses a delicious and simple marinade to impart serious flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce (such as Kikkoman®)
1/4 cup lime juice
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
ground black pepper to taste
1 pound beef steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, or as needed
4 potatoes, cut into wedges
1 large onion, cut into rings
1/8 cup water

Directions

1 Combine soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and pepper in a bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking. Add sliced beef, making sure it is coated evenly. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Fry potatoes in the hot oil until the edges turn golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3 Heat remaining oil in the same pan over medium-high heat and fry onions until edges turn brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the same plate.
4 Heat the same pan over medium-high heat. Reserve marinade and fry beef in batches, adding more vegetable oil if necessary, until browned and no longer pink in the centers, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the plate and continue with remaining beef.
5 Pour reserved marinade into the pan with water to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings. Return beef back to the pan with some onion, leaving remaining onion for garnish; reduce heat and let simmer until sauce has thickened, 7 to 10 minutes.
6 Slide beef and sauce onto a serving plate. Garnish with remaining onion. Place potatoes on the side and serve.