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Palomilla Steaks

Cooks' Note

Palomilla is the most well known steak served in Cuban restaurants. It has delicious flavors such as lime juice, onions, and garlic. Muy delicioso! Serve with black beans and rice alongside.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 (8- to 10-ounce) top sirloin steaks, very thinly sliced (if you can’t get them 1/4 inch thick or thinner, pound them out a bit with a mallet)
Salt and pepper
2 onions, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup beer or chicken stock
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a shallow dish, combine the vinegar, 4 tablespoons of the of EVOO, the garlic, marjoram or oregano, cilantro, and cumin.

    Step 2

    Pat the steaks dry, season with salt and pepper, and give them a turn in the marinade. Let them marinate, covered, for 4 hours in the fridge.

    Step 3

    Heat a skillet over medium heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until very tender, about 20 minutes, adding the beer or stock for the last five minutes of cooking. As the onions cook, take the meat out of the fridge to bring it back up to room temperature before cooking.

    Step 4

    When the onions are just about tender, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Shake the excess marinade off the steaks and cook the steaks in batches in the hot skillet until the outsides are crispy, 2 minutes on each side. Keep the finished steaks on a warm platter while you finish the rest of the steaks. When all the steaks are cooked, turn off the heat, add the butter to the pan, and when it melts, stir in the parsley and lime juice.

    Step 5

    Serve the steaks immediately topped with the onions and the lime butter.

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