Marinade
▢ 250–300g beef sirloin
▢ ½–1 tbsp soy sauce
▢ 1 tbsp canola oil
▢ 1 tbsp cornstarch
▢ ½ tbsp calamansi juice
▢ ½ tsp baking soda
▢ Bistek
▢ ⅓–½ cup water
▢ ¼ cup calamansi juice
▢ 3–4 tbsp soy sauce
▢ ¾ tbsp grated garlic
▢ pinch of cracked black pepper
▢ 3–4 tbsp oil
▢ 2 small white onions, sliced into rings
1
Prepare sirloin: Clean sirloin and remove silverskin (the thin, silvery membrane). Slice meat against the grain into thin strips. Working one piece at a time, pound each slice with a meat tenderizer until almost translucent.
2
Marinate sirloin: Combine soy sauce, canola oil, cornstarch, calamansi juice, and baking soda in a bowl. Add sliced sirloin and let marinate for 35 minutes. Gently rinse off the marinade before cooking and pat beef dry with paper towels.
3
Prepare sauce: While marinating the beef, make the bistek sauce. Add water, calamansi juice, soy sauce, grated garlic, and black pepper in a separate bowl. Mix until well combined, and set aside.
4
Sear beef: Heat 3–4 tablespoons oil in a pan over high heat. Once oil is hot, add marinated beef and sear until well-browned on both sides and a slight crust forms. Remove seared beef from pan and set aside.
5
Cook sauce: Add sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low to maintain a steady simmer, and let the sauce reduce for a few minutes to cook the garlic. Toss beef back into the sauce and cook briefly, 1–2 minutes.
6
Cook onions and serve: Add onion rings, cover the pan, and cook until slightly tender but still crisp, 1–2 minutes. Uncover and transfer bistek to a serving plate, spooning extra sauce over the beef and onions. Serve with hot rice.