Pork Bistek

Name: Pork Bistek
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs pork sirloin or shoulder, thinly sliced; 1/3 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (sub for calamansi); 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 4 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 medium yellow onion, sliced into rings; 1/3 cup water; 1 tsp granulated sugar

A Filipino pan-fried pork dish braised in a tangy soy-citrus sauce and topped with sweet caramelized onion rings. Serve over steamed white rice for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

45 minEasyServes 4470 cal/serving

FilipinoDinnerStovetopStandardHigh FiberHigh ProteinLow-Sodium

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs pork sirloin or shoulder, thinly sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (sub for calamansi)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onion, sliced into rings
1/3 cup water
1 tsp granulated sugar

Instructions

1

Combine 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (sub for calamansi), 4 minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper in a bowl. Add 1.5 lbs thinly sliced pork sirloin or shoulder, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.
2

Heat half of the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade (reserve marinade) and pan-fry in batches until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Check pork is cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Transfer to a plate.
3

In the same skillet, add the remaining vegetable oil. Add 2 medium sliced into rings yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, about 8 minutes.
4

Pour the reserved marinade and 1/3 cup water into the pan with the onions. Stir in 1 tsp granulated sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
5

Return the pork to the pan, spoon sauce over the top, and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve over steamed rice with onion rings on top.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Filipino Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What internal temperature should Pork Bistek reach?

For Pork Bistek, the target internal temperature is 145 F (about 65 C), given in step 2. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Can I speed up the caramelized onions in Pork Bistek?

Step 3 reads: "Add 2 medium sliced into rings yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, about 8 minutes." Not by much. Step 3 needs steady medium-low heat; turning it up burns the outside before the sugars inside have browned. A splash of water rescues a pan that starts to catch.

Is there a substitute for calamansi in Pork Bistek?

The entry for Pork Bistek calls for 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (sub for calamansi). In its place: Two parts lime juice to one part orange juice.

Can I make Pork Bistek gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Pork Bistek is 1/3 cup soy sauce. Swap the soy-based sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Everything else proceeds as written.

Does Pork Bistek contain soy?

Yes: 1/3 cup soy sauce. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten and soy. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

How long does Pork Bistek keep?

Refrigerate what is left of Pork Bistek within two hours and eat it within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Serve it with

Laing side
Ensaladang Talong Grilled Eggplant Salad salad
Mang Tomas Style Sauce sauce
Tsokolate drink

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.