Entrée: Philippines – Bistek Tagalog (Filipino Beef Steak)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 10 min

Cook 20 min

Additional 25 min

Total 45 min

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) beef steak, thinly sliced (such as sirloin)
2 medium eggplants, sliced into rounds
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced into rings
2 scallions, sliced for garnish
1 / 4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) calamansi juice or lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked jasmine rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Marinate beef with soy sauce, calamansi/lemon juice, garlic and sugar for 20–30 minutes.  
2. Pan‑fry eggplant and bell pepper in oil until golden and set aside.  
3. In the same pan, sear beef in batches until browned, then return all beef to pan. Add onion rings and a splash of the marinade; simmer briefly until onions are soft and sauce reduced.  
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Plate with fried eggplant and bell pepper alongside jasmine rice, garnish with sliced scallions.