Beef is expensive in Thailand. So, if I am craving for Bistek (Filipino Beef Steak) but is short on budget, I would simply substitute the Beef for Pork. Cheaper but equally flavorful.
Pork Steak is a favorite among Filipinos. This dish is deliciously savory with the perfect mixture of salty and tangy flavors.
I'm far from being an experienced cook but this is one of the things I can cook confidently. It is so easy that untalented homecooks like me won't screw it up.
So let's start!
Ingredients:
2 lbs pork shoulder (slice about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1 cup water
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime (Manao) juice (since we do not have Calamansi in Thailand)
Salt and Pepper
Peppercorns
Cooking Oil
1 large onion, half minced, half sliced into rings
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Let's get this show on the road. The night before cooking, I marinated my meat in a mixture of soy sauce, lime juice, pepper, minced onion and garlic. The next day, I started the cooking process with frying my meat in cooking oil until brown. Then, I added the liquid from the marinade and allow it to boil. Add the water and brown sugar.
Cover and boil. Once the liquid is boiling, simmer for 20-30 minutes . Add more water as needed. I normally simmer until the meat is fork tender and the liquid has thicken and reduced to about half. To finish, adjust taste with salt and pepper, then add your sliced onion rings. Simmer further until onions are limp.
I usually divide my pork steak into 2 servings since not everyone in our house enjoys the onions. So, half with onions and the other half without.
Turn off heat and enjoy with steam rice!