Bistek (Beef Marinated with Calamansi, Soy and Onions) (Recipe 37 of 150)

Photo from The Kitchn

I'm not sure what I expected of this recipe. The photo made it look delicious, but it was just ok. 

I couldn't find Calamansi - in fact I didn't even have a clue what it was. The Interwebs told me this: 

Calamansi is one of those ingredients that makes Filipino and Malaysian dishes taste truly authentic. The flavor is something like a sour orange or a slightly sweeter lime, and it has a fragrance to match.

Wait! A fruit that could be both sour and sweet? I was confused. 

The recipe said I could lemon juice, lime juice or orange juice. I chose lemon juice, but wish I had selected lime. It's much nicer flavor to me. Maybe I'll try this again but with lime. 

Bistek (Beef Marinated with Calamansi, Soy and Onions)

Recipe from Thekitchn.com

Serves 4

1 pound boneless ribeye steak

1 large yellow onion

4 cloves garlic

1/2 c tamari or soy sauce

1/2 c calamansi extract or juice (or 3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, or 2 tablespoons orange juice)

4 bay leaves

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 T canola oil, divided

Cooked rice, for serving

Freeze 1 pound boneless ribeye steak until the steak is half frozen, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, thaw completely frozen steak at room temperature about 3 hours.) Meanwhile, peel 1 large yellow onion, then cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Thinly slice 4 garlic cloves. Place both in a large bowl.

Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup calamansi juice, 4 bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl. Thinly slice the steak across the grain into 1/8-inch thick slices. Add the steak to the bowl, toss to combine, and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Transfer the bay leaves and onions, keeping the rounds intact, to a plate. Fit a strainer over a medium bowl. Using tongs, transfer the meat to the strainer. Reserve the marinade.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the bay leaves and onions, arranging the onions in a single layer (it will bubble and steam). Cook undisturbed until the bottoms of the onions are deep golden brown, 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Flip the onions and cook until the second side is deep golden brown and caramelized, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes more.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add 3 tablespoons of the marinade. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaves.

Wipe any dark bits from the skillet. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan and heat on high until it begins to smoke. Add the steak and cook, stirring to break up the pieces, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Add the remaining marinade, along with the strained marinade, to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the marinade is thickened slightly, about 6 minutes. Add the onions to rewarm. Arrange the onions on top of the steak and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with rice.