I know that most of you love pork, because honestly, who doesn’t? Especially if you’re a Filipino, deep inside our hearts, we love pork no matter what form it takes. So here we are going to try out the Pork Steak or Pork Bistek!
You must be really confused–because–have you ever tried this popular Filipino dish that is made out of pork, but is called “beef steak”? Yes, only Filipinos can do that.
Continue to read this recipe article to learn more tips and tricks, and some trivia on how to make the best pork steak you will ever have!
What is Filipino Pork Steak or Pork Bistek?
The pork steak or pork bistek is a variety of another popular Filipino dish named Bistek, which is actually a derivation of the words ‘beef steak.’ It is a dish traditionally made out of pork shoulders marinated in a citrus-based juice such as lemon or lime and is braised with onions.
Although the dish was originally invented to have beef as its main ingredient, it has evolved throughout the years and the term bistek still came along with it–even though different types of meat such as pork, or even fish meat is used as an alternative ingredient.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pork
We will be using the pork steak or pork chop cut and slice them into smaller bitesize pieces.
Citrus
There are no strict rules in the recipe when it comes to our citrus-based ingredients. The options you choose is purely preference, or you can substitute one for the other if the other ingredient is not available, as they are almost similar in taste. So feel free to use whatever you get your hands on.
Aside from these, you will also use regular pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and cooking oil . If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pan (Kawali)- We will do a simple stewing to cook this dish and you will be needing a regular kawali or cooking pan to do this. You can also use any shallow skillet or casserole for this.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Pork Bistek
This recipe of cooking the pork steak or pork bistek is as easy and straightforward as it can get! If you’re still a beginner and is still exploring to make new and exciting dishes for your family or your friends, this is perfect for you.
To make things simpler and streamlined, we are going to break down the process of cooking this in three parts: First, you need to prepare all the ingredients, next is to marinate the pork, and then the last part is to cook it. Easy as that.
When marinating the pork, it is better if you can do it for a longer period of time–but only to a certain extent. So the best time to prepare this is about 1 to 3 hours before cooking. This is the recommended amount of time as the pork will absorb all the flavors of the marinade within this time frame.
For an improved overall flavor of the pork steak when cooking, a good idea is to reserve the excess liquid from the marinade and use it for boiling the pork meat. This will bring out more character to the dish as the liquid is loaded with flavor that will mix well into the pork as it tenderizes.
Cooking Tips
- For the pork meat, there are ready-made cuts in the market which you can find such as pork chops, so this one is recommended for this recipe. But other types of pork such as pork butt or sirloin will do good for the dish as well. Just be sure to cut them evenly so they can be easily cooked without having any problems.
- It is not advisable to marinate the pork for more than 3 hours because the acids of the citrus might break down in the meat and it will result in a mushy texture. So if you’re planning to make this dish, give it the right amount of time for preparation to maximize the flavors.
How to Serve Pork Bistek
This pork dish is best served with freshly cooked white rice for a lunch or dinner meal. Feel free to pair this with pickled vegetables like atsara or any vegetable dish.
How to Store and Reheat Pork Bistek
Pork bistek is best eaten when it is freshly cooked. In case you do have leftovers, place in a clean food container, cover, and refrigerate. This will make your food last for about 3 days.
To reheat, you can use the microwave oven or reheat in a pan over low to medium heat.
Other Pork Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Filipino Pork Steak (Pork Bistek) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
Ingredients
- 5 pcs pork chops, cut into smaller pieces
- 2 pcs pcs lemon (or 8 pcs calamansi), extracted into juice
- 1 pc medium-sized onion, cut into rings
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tbsp cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add-in pork chops, minced garlic, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Set aside and marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
- In a cooking pan, pour-in and heat oil in medium to high heat.
- Add-in the pork chop (reserve the marinade liquid for later). Cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.
- Remove excess liquids and then pour-in water and reserved marinade liquid. Lower heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until pork is tender.
- Add-in onion rings and season with salt and pepper as desired. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until aromatic.
- Transfer to a serving plate or a serving tray. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Pin and save this recipe to your Pinterest account! Click on the Pin button above 🙂
Thank you and I hope you find this article useful! It’ll mean a lot if you RATE THE RECIPE by clicking the stars and SHARE THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS! 🙂
 Recipe){kind=link}