There are nights when you need to put food on the table really fast and there is no inspiration. This Authentic Mexican Bistec Encebollado- Steak And Onion will take you out of trouble and help you deliver a great dinner for your family.
This recipe is one of the most popular recipes in Mexico, but also popular in many other Latin countries.
Each country has a version of it, by adding different ingredients, or marinating the meat quick or overnight.
However, the two main ingredients for the recipe are steak and onions.
I absolutely love this dish because it is such a simple recipe to make and so delicious. It is an easy way to put dinner on the table in no time, especially when you crave Mexican food.
Bistec encebollado ( BEE-stake) means thinly cut beef filets. They cook rapidly in a pan with a little bit of oil.
Onions are cooked in the same pan with salt and pepper, sometimes with thin slices of jalapeno peppers for a spicier version, and sometimes with thin slices of potatoes added to the onions.
My version is a simple one, without the jalapeno peppers, but equally delicious.
I personally love cooked, caramelized onions. I would be able to eat a ton of them if I would not have some common sense.
I love them on fresh slices of good bread with salt and pepper. As I like them so much, you can imagine that this dish is heaven for me.
I usually serve this recipe with a bean salad, sometimes with rice, sometimes with Mexican style cooked beans and a delicious cactus leaves salad, or nopales.
Traditionally, this dish is served in Mexico with rice and beans, so keep that in mind if you want to re-create an authentic Mexican dish.
First, start with the meat. Buy thin beef steaks or go to a Mexican store where they sell these type of cuts. I noticed that American steaks are sliced differently than the Mexican ones.
However, use what you have around. Flank steak is good too. The idea is that they have to be thin, so they can cook really fast.
Place the steaks on a plate and sprinkle salt, pepper, a little bit of oil and lemon juice on them. Let them sit on the plate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, use a regular pan or a cast iron one and heat it up on the stove. Let it be really hot.
If you have a grill pan, use that, just make sure the pan gets hot.
Add the meat and cook it until no longer pink. The meat should sizzle when you put it in the pan.
I cannot tell you how many minutes you have to cook it, because each cut is different and could take more or less time, but in general I am thinking that 3-4 minutes on each side should be enough, if the meat is thin enough.
Obviously, if the steaks are thinner, use your own judgment and don’t cook the life out of them. When done, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate to rest.
While the meat is cooking, slice the onions. Again, use your judgment on this one. If you cook for 4 people, for example, slice about 2-3 large onions.
In the Mexican cuisine, white onions are the thing. They are large, not very sweet and delicious. However, if you don’t have white onion, use the regular yellow onion that is sweeter (more sugar content) and caramelizes beautifully if you cook it slow.
It might look like a lot, but they cook down really fast. In the same pan, add a little bit of butter and let it melt.
Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium-low. You need to cook them slow, otherwise they will burn.
Add salt and pepper on them and move them often in the pan with a spatula.
Some recipes tell you that you should use two pans, one for the steak and one for the onions. I am saying that you should use only one pan.
Cook the steaks first, then add the onions, as they will take the flavor of the cooked steaks and taste delicious.
When the onions are golden brown, soft and cooked through, remove them from the pan and place them over the steaks.
Serve them right away with Mexican rice, Authentic Mexican Beans or Ensalada de Nopales or Cactus Salad.
You will have one of the best meals you ever had! This dish is awesome and super easy to make!
Place the steaks on a plate and sprinkle salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice on them. Let them sit on the plate for 10 minutes.
Add the meat and cook until no longer pink. The meat should sizzle when you put it in the pan. The cooking time is about 3-4 minutes, but use your judgment as each cut is different and could take more or less time.
When cooked remove the steaks from the pan and place them on a warmed plate to rest.
While the meat is cooking, slice the onions. again, use your judgment. If you cook for 4 people, for example, 2-3 large onions should be enough.
In the same pan you cooked the steaks, add the butter and let it melt.
Cook onions over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper on them and move them often in the pan with a spatula.
Note: If you want to add jalapeno pepper, add it with the onions. Same with the sliced potato. These are optional ingredients that can go with the onions.
Serve them right away with Mexican rice, Authentic Mexican Beans , Ensalada de Nopales or Cactus Salad.