18/365: Pinoy Bistek Recipe

I swear, a housewife's work is never done! And since I've always maintained that I'm clueless when it comes to the mysteries of domesticity, today was a very looooong day. Felt like chores was on a continuous loop, sometimes overlapping each other.

Our guests, together with Li'l Prince, Queenie and Charming, trooped to Sea World this morning. Hubby and I were left alone and we had some much needed quiet time together, doing some light housework and some errands.

Then it got really intense in the afternoon. I realized our sightseers won't have any dinner tonight. There weren't enough leftovers to tide them over - and us - so I guess it fell on me to make it.

Oh, woe is me!

So I cooked Bistek and some vegetable stir fry. For some reason, this time 'round, I had an itch to keep my workplace clean. I ended up washing dishes and crockery every now and then until I think my hands would fall off. Ugh!

Chopping. Marinading. Slicing. Washing. Cooking. Frying. On a continuous roll for the better part of a couple of hours. Afterwards, the little sweetness I had in my bones fled out the back door. I got cranky and hubby got swept into the post-dinner undertow.

I remember now why I hate chores, especially cooking and washing dishes - the two things I couldn't get out of this afternoon.

Btw, Bistek is the Filipino version of the beef steak dish, only with sauce added. Here's my Bistek recipe:

• 2 lbs beef sirloin
• 4 medium-sized onions, sliced
• 3 T vegetable oil

      Marinade:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 T sugar
• 2/3 c dark soy sauce
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• dash of pepper

1. Slice beef thinly into 2"x3" pieces. Set aside.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
3. Pour oil onto pan and heat. Fry beef slices until browned. Place cooked beef on a plate and set aside.
4. Saute the onions. While still crisp, pour in the marinade and let boil. 
5. Return beef to the pan and simmer. Adjust to taste. Serve with hot, plain rice.

Cook's note:

The secret to customizing the taste to your palate is to mix the marinade first. Usually, it approximates the taste of the final, cooked Bistek.

Also, I find that soaking the meat in water several times removes the metallic taste of blood from the food, leaving the beef succulent and savory. It helps, too, to dry the meat with paper towel after soaking and before putting it in the marinade.

Happy cooking!