Bistek
If you've got beef, soy sauce and lemon, you're most of the way to this Filipino beef: about 65 minutes of cooking across 8 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 8 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Marinate beef in soy sauce, lemon (or calamansi), and ground black pepper for at least 1 hour. Note: marinate overnight for best result
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan then pan-fry half of the onions until the texture becomes soft. Set aside
- Drain the marinade from the beef. Set it aside. Pan-fry the beef on the same pan where the onions were fried for 1 minute per side. Remove from the pan. Set aside
- Add more oil if needed. Saute garlic and remaining raw onions until onion softens.
- Pour the remaining marinade and water. Bring to a boil.
- Add beef. Cover the pan and simmer until the meat is tender. Note: Add water as needed.
- Season with ground black pepper and salt as needed. Top with pan-fried onions.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet Β· Pan Β· Saucepan
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube β pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- Soy Sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) Β· coconut aminos
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Bistek
- Crispy Eggplant Vegetarian
- Eggplant Adobo Vegetarian
- Grilled eggplant with coconut milk Vegetarian
- Tortang Talong Vegetarian
Tips & common questions
How long does Bistek take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 8 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of soy sauce?
Try tamari (gluten-free). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Bistek via TheMealDB (open database). βΆ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure β how we source recipes.