DE EN
Back to all recipes
Main courses

Filipino Beef Steak – Bistek Tagalog

Bistek Tagalog is a classic Filipino dish made with thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, calamansi or lemon juice, garlic and black pepper. The beef is seared, gently braised in the savory and tangy sauce, and served with plenty of onion rings and rice.

⏱ 100 min total ◉ 4 Portionen ✦ Easy
Start cooking Recipe PDF
Filipino Bistek Tagalog with thin slices of beef, dark soy sauce and sautéed onion rings served with rice
Total time100 min
Yield4 Portionen
Get everything ready

Ingredients

Tick ingredients off as you prepare them.

  • 700 Gramm beef sirloin or beef tenderloin
  • 75 Milliliter soy sauce
  • 60 Milliliter calamansi juice or fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Stück large onions
  • 3 Zehen garlic cloves
  • 4 Esslöffel neutral vegetable oil
  • 240 Milliliter water or beef stock
  • 0.5 Teelöffel freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Prise salt, only if needed
  • 250 Gramm jasmine rice or long-grain rice
  • 500 Milliliter water for the rice
Step by step

Method

36 steps to the finished dish.

  1. Measure all ingredients and prepare a large frying pan with a lid and a bowl for the marinade.
  2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels.
  3. Slice the beef against the grain into pieces approximately five millimeters thick.
  4. Gently flatten any firm or uneven slices between sheets of plastic wrap.
  5. Combine the soy sauce, calamansi or lemon juice and black pepper in a large bowl.
  6. Peel and finely chop one garlic clove and add it to the marinade.
  7. Place the beef slices in the marinade and turn them thoroughly so every piece is coated.
  8. Cover the bowl and marinate the beef in the refrigerator for approximately 60 minutes.
  9. Meanwhile, peel the onions and slice them into even rings.
  10. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic cloves.
  11. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse it under cold water until the water runs mostly clear.
  12. Place the rinsed rice in a pot with 500 milliliters of water and a small pinch of salt.
  13. Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
  14. Gently cook the rice for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, then let it rest for five minutes with the lid closed.
  15. Remove the marinated beef from the refrigerator.
  16. Lift the beef slices from the marinade and let them drain well. Be sure to reserve the remaining marinade.
  17. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in the large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  18. Add about half of the onion rings and fry for two to three minutes until slightly softened and browned at the edges.
  19. Remove the fried onions from the pan and set them aside for garnish.
  20. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed.
  21. Working in batches, place the beef slices in a single layer so they sear rather than steam.
  22. Sear the beef for approximately one to two minutes on each side.
  23. Remove each batch of seared beef from the pan and collect it on a plate.
  24. Add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan.
  25. Add the remaining raw onion rings and chopped garlic.
  26. Sauté the onions and garlic for about three minutes until the onions become translucent.
  27. Pour the reserved marinade and the water or beef stock into the pan.
  28. Bring the liquid to a boil while stirring and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  29. Return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the pan.
  30. Reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid.
  31. Gently braise the bistek for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until the beef is tender.
  32. Stir occasionally during braising and add a small splash of water if needed.
  33. Taste the sauce and adjust with additional lemon juice, black pepper or a very small amount of salt if needed.
  34. Arrange the previously fried onion rings over the finished beef.
  35. Gently fluff the rice with a fork and divide it among plates.
  36. Serve the Bistek Tagalog with onions and plenty of sauce beside the rice while hot.
Good to know

Kochshow tip

This recipe was developed from the video title and matching published Bistek Tagalog recipes. The ingredients, quantities and steps were not fully transcribed from the YouTube video. Calamansi is a citrus fruit commonly used in the Philippines; fresh lemon or lime juice can be used as a substitute. Always slice the beef thinly against the grain. The total time includes approximately 60 minutes of marinating. YouTube video: https://youtu.be/-8BT0qwWQy0?si=47IqsdC59B_2GLYd

Video

Cook along with us

The matching video straight from the show.

For privacy reasons, the YouTube video is loaded only after your click.