Bistek Tagalog with Mushrooms

Bistek Tagalog gets its sharp-savoury flavour from calamansi and soy sauce. Mushrooms absorb that sauce while the onions add sweetness. Cook thin beef slices briefly first, then return them to the pan at the end so they do not become tough.

Ingredients for four servings

• 500 g thinly sliced beef sirloin or similar quick-cooking cut
• 200 g button mushrooms, sliced; 2 onions, cut into rings
• 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup calamansi juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup water; 2 tablespoons oil
• Black pepper and warm rice to serve

Method

1. Mix soy sauce and calamansi juice. Coat the beef with half of this mixture for about 15 minutes while preparing the vegetables; keep the beef refrigerated if waiting longer.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan. Sear the beef in batches, just until browned. Set it aside.
3. Soften the onion rings in the same pan, then remove some for garnish. Cook the garlic and mushrooms until the mushrooms release and lose most of their liquid.
4. Add water and the remaining soy-calamansi mixture. Simmer briefly, return the beef and its juices, and cook until the beef is done to your preference. Finish with pepper and the reserved onion rings.

Do not pour used raw-beef marinade over finished food unless it is boiled thoroughly in the sauce. Taste before adding extra soy: reducing the sauce concentrates salt. If calamansi is unavailable, a small amount of another citrus juice can provide acidity, though the flavour will change.

Serve immediately with rice. Cool any leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly. Use separate utensils for raw and cooked beef to prevent cross-contamination.