Bistek Tagalog

My Mom, who's a fantastic cook, used to make this a lot when I was growing up, and it's one of my favorite comfort foods. It's very easy to make, especially if you use a tender cut of beef (I like to use rib-eye) which won't require long cooking. I try not to over-caramelize the onion rings, to leave a bit of crunch in every bite. Serve with plenty of hot steamed rice! (Since fresh kalamansi juice is not available in most parts of the U.S., try substituting equal parts of lemon and lime juice -- a great suggestion from my daughter, Patricia.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. beef (rib-eye or sirloin), sliced into thin medium pieces

1 tablespoon kalamansi juice (or lemon juice)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons canola oil, for frying

1 large onion, sliced into rings

Slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch diluted in a tablespoon of water)

Directions:

Combine the kalamansi/lemon juice, soy sauce, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Marinate the beef slices in the mixture for at least an hour. Remove the beef pieces into a bowl and set aside the marinade.

Heat the oil, and pan-fry the beef slices on both sides until nicely browned; set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the onions briefly in the remaining oil, until a bit browned but still crispy; remove the onions from pan and set aside. Pour the marinade into the pan and bring to a simmer; season to taste with salt and pepper (and more lemon juice or soy sauce, if desired).

Lower the heat; add the cornstarch mixture a bit at a time until you get the desired thickness. Stir in the beef slices and coat with the sauce.

Serve with the onion slices on top (with lots of steamed rice!). Serves 6.