CubanBistec empanizado
Breaded thin steak
Bistec empanizado: thin Cuban breaded steak with lime and onion, a Havana diner favourite
Bistec empanizado is the breaded steak of Cuban family dinners and Little Havana diners, a weeknight plate in Havana and Miami alike. Thin slices of beef are pounded thinner still, marinated briefly in lime, garlic and cumin, then crumbed with crushed crackers and fried until crisp and golden. It contains wheat and egg. The mistake is cutting the steak thick: it toughens before the crumb browns, so pound it to 5 mm. It is done when the crust is deep golden on both sides, which takes only a couple of minutes for meat this thin. Serve with white rice, black beans, maduros and a lime wedge. Chef's tip: marinate the beef for no more than an hour; lime juice left longer turns thin steak grey and mealy.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 470 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb beef top round or sirloin steakscut into 4 thin slices
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 5 ½ oz plain salted crackerscrushed to fine crumbs
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- ½ onionvery finely chopped
- 1 limein wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lay each 1 ⅓ lb beef top round or sirloin steaks between sheets of cling film and pound with a rolling pin until about 5 mm thick.
Step 2: Mix 3 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp lime juice, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, turn the steaks in it and marinate in the fridge for 30–60 minutes.
Step 3: Beat 2 eggs in one shallow dish and put 5 ½ oz plain salted crackers in another. Dip each steak in egg, then press firmly into the crumbs on both sides.
Step 4: Heat ½ cup sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until a crumb sizzles at once.
3 minStep 5: Fry the steaks one or two at a time for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bistec empanizado take?
- About 32 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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