Thin strips of pork belly strip cooked "bistek" style. What makes this different from all other savory Filipino dishes? The flavorful and citrusy sauce comes from calamansi (or calamondin) and the sharp, pungent onion flavor. So good!
Pork Bistek Tagalog
Bistek means beef steak in Filipino. A term we use for our version of steak. The usual substitute for beef when making bistek is pork chops but today we will be using pork belly.
Tender, fatty (there is just no other word for it), and flavorful bistek. Yum! So good with rice!
Filipino Bistek Ingredients
- pork
- soy sauce
- calamansi
- garlic
- oyster sauce (optional)
- onions
Looking for more Filipino recipes? Try these out!
Sear the meat in a little oil after marinating to develop more flavor. Doing this will also help bring out the excess fat which you can discard before making the sauce.
For the onion essence to stand out, add it raw just as you finish cooking. Let the excess heat steam the onion, maybe for a minute or less, and then serve.
Sometimes I even just put raw onions on top of my rice bowl to have that salad-like flavor.
Watch the video on how to make Pork Belly Bistek
More Filipino Pork dishes you must try
- Misua with Pork Meatballs
- Filipino Menudo
- Nilagang Baboy
- Oven-Fried Lechon Kawali
- Pork Belly Sisig
- Skinless Longganisa
- Pork Afritada
- Homemade Tocino
- Bicol Express
- Humba Pork Belly
- Binagoongang Baboy
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Complete Recipe
PORK BELLY BISTEK
Ingredients
- 500 grams thinly sliced pork belly
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 2 red or yellow onions (sliced into rings, divided)
- 2 cloves garlic (sliced)
- ½ cup water
Bistek Marinade
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup soy sauce (you can use light or dark)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
- ¼ cup calamansi juice
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients of the marinade. Mix well then add it to the pork belly strips. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove the pork from the marinade. Sear in a hot pan with a little oil until it turns light brown or slightly caramelized. Do this in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Leave about 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan and discard (or keep it for later use) excess fat.
- Stir-fry ¼ cup of the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the marinade and water. Let it simmer for a minute then add back the pork. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and slowly cook until pork is tender. Season with black pepper. Taste test, adjust seasoning as needed. Add more calamansi juice or soy sauce if preferred.
- Set heat to low or turn it off then add the remaining onion. Stir until onions are coated with the sauce. Serve with a warm bowl of rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Sear the meat in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. This will help retain the heat of the pan, making the caramelization easier.
- Discard excess fat or keep it for later use, up to you!
- If you don't like raw onions, let the excess heat steam it before serving.
- Oyster sauce elevates the over all flavor, but it's totally optional.
- Other meat cut options for bistek are pork chop and pork shoulder. Both are tougher cuts so you will need more water and longer cooking time to tenderize.
Zenia says
I made this today and it’s really delicious!! I used lime since we don’t have calamansi where I’m at. But it’s still delicious!!!
Mella says
Thanks for the feedback, Zenia! Glad you enjoyed this. I haven't tried lime for bistek and you make me want to try it 🙂
- Mella