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    Home » Meat » Beef Recipes » Bistec Encebollado Salvadoreño (Steak and Onions)

    Bistec Encebollado Salvadoreño (Steak and Onions)

    Oct 5, 2018 · by Valentina · 30 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Bistec Encebollado Salvadoreño (Steak and Onions), bursts with rich, delicious flavors. From Alicia Maher’s cookbook, Delicious El Salvador, it makes for a hearty, scrumptious dinner!Bistec Encebollado with lots of golden onions on top.

    A while ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to Melissa’s Produce for a cookbook signing and demo with the lovely Alicia Maher. She's the author of Delicious El Salvador and Sabores Deliciosos.

    Alicia taught us how to make Bistec Encebollado, an amazing Salvadoran meat recipe.

    Alicia was born and raised in El Salvador. It's her mission to “preserve, rescue and document authentic Salvadoran recipes for her children, future generations, and food lovers everywhere.”

    Cover of Alicia Maher's Delicious El Salvador cookbook.

    About Alicia Maher

    Among other awards, in 2014, Delicious El Salvador won the Gourmand Award for Best First Cookbook in the World. In the world!

    Every year the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards honor the best food and wine books, printed or digital. Books from 205 countries participate.

    Photo of ALicia Maher in her cookbook.

    Alicia was also a contributor to The Immigrant Cookbook, representing the millions of Salvadoran immigrants living in the US.

    The Delicious El Salvador Cookbook

    There are 75 recipes in Delicious El Salvador and there are gorgeous photographs of each one, most of which were taken on location, in San Salvador.

    I’ve always loved Salvadoran food, so I was super excited about this event. While Alicia was signing my book, I asked her if she has Salvadoran restaurants she would recommend. Without skipping a beat, she said, “in my kitchen, at home.” And fittingly, Delicious El Salvador is a guide to authentic Salvadoran home cooking.Photo of a recipe in Alicia Maher's Delicious El Salvador.

    You could feel Alicia’s passion for her country as she talked about the food and demonstrated recipes.

    Bistec Encebollado Salvadoreño

    While she was demonstrating how to make this delicious Salvadoran recipe, (page 112), I decided that’s what I’d be making for dinner that night.

    A staple of Salvadoran cuisine, Alicia described Bistec Encebollado as delicious, classic, easy for a busy night, and one of the best Salvadoran meat recipes ever. All true!

    Raw Bistec Encebollado with the steak pounded thinly with mustard and sliced, raw onions.

    It was the onions that really lured me in. My mom would have loved this dish, and wouldn’t have even had to say “double the onions, please.” 🙂

    Bistec Encebollado with extra golden onions on top with greens on the side.

    You can find out more about Alicia Maher on her site, Delicious El Salvador.

    This is not a sponsored post. I was a guest to Alicia Maher’s cookbook signing and demo at Melissa’s Produce where I was given a copy of Delicious El Salvador.

    I hope you try this Bistec Encebollado recipe, and love it as much and my family and I did!

    Steak with lots of golden onions on top with greens on the side.

    Bistec Encebollado Salvadoreño (Steak and Onions)

    Valentina K. Wein
    From Alicia Maher’s cookbook, Delicious El Salvador, this recipe is bursting with delicious flavors and makes for a hearty, scrumptious dinner!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Marinating Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 27 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Salvadoran
    Servings 4 to 6
    Calories 435 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds top sirloin steak (or any other tender cut you prefer), sliced into 6 equal portions
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ cup yellow mustard
    • 1 cup onion, thickly sliced (rings, ½-inch-thick)
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

    Garnish

    • 2 to 3 large tomatoes (firm but ripe), cut into about 12 slices (¼-inch-thick)
    • 6 leaves escarole or butter lettuce; or sprigs of watercress

    Instructions
     

    • Prep steak and marinate. Trim any excess fat from the edges and pound the steaks with a meat mallet, to about ¼ inch thick. Season with he salt and pepper, rub with the mustard, place in a shallow dish, and add the  sliced onions on top. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
    • Sauté steak. In a large skillet, heat the oil over a high flame until it's almost smoking. Season the steaks with the salt and pepper, and add them to the skillet. Cook on each side for about 1 minute, turning once, until golden brown. Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside in a serving dish.
    • Sauteé onions. Reduce the flame to medium high, and in the same skillet with the oil remaining from cooking the steaks, fry the onions until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Reducing the flame to low, add the Worcestershire sauce and cook the onions for about another 20 seconds. Remove skillet from the stove.
    • Assemble and serve. Top the steaks immediately with the onions and pan juices, then garnish before serving with the sliced tomatoes and greens of your choice.

    Notes

    Calorie count is only an estimate.
    Keywords steak dinner recipes, easy steak dinner
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sippitysup

      October 05, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      I've been to El Salvador and eaten something quite similar to this there. Your version is prettier... GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 06, 2018 at 1:02 pm

        I hope to go one day. Yest another place on my super long list of places I must go to. 🙂 Thank you.

        Reply
    2. Chris Collins

      October 06, 2018 at 3:22 am

      Steak and onions is my fav combo! The book looks fab, might have to get myself a copy 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 06, 2018 at 1:01 pm

        Thanks, Chris! It's truly a great book. For both inspiration and for following. 🙂

        Reply
    3. David @ Spiced

      October 06, 2018 at 5:24 am

      What a fun event and cookbook! To be honest, I'm not all that familiar with Salvadoran food...but after seeing these photos, I need to be! I love a good steak, and then pile on those onions? Sign me up please! This looks delicious, Valentina!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 06, 2018 at 12:59 pm

        Thank you, David! I'm in total agreement about the onions! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline Meldrum

      October 06, 2018 at 5:41 am

      It's always great to discover a good new cookbook you will actually cook from. I'm all in favour of lots of onions in dishes too.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 06, 2018 at 12:58 pm

        Thanks, Jacqueline! I agree about cookbooks. This one truly is great! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Karen (Back Road Journal)

      October 07, 2018 at 10:48 am

      The mustard and Worcestershire sauce must add a zip to the steak...it sounds great.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 07, 2018 at 11:18 pm

        They do indeed. Thank you. Hope you give it a go. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Cathy

      October 07, 2018 at 11:07 am

      I just made this for my mom and she loved it. Such a wonderful combination of flavors.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 07, 2018 at 11:18 pm

        Totally agree! Weren't the onions amazing!?

        Reply
    7. David

      October 07, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      I love simple and authentic meals like this, Valentina! Your presentation is gorgeous, and it’s great to know about Alicia and her. Ppl. El Salvadoran cuisine is new to me!

      Reply
      • David

        October 07, 2018 at 12:06 pm

        Ugh... “Alicia and her book!” I hate autocorrect!

        Reply
        • valentina

          October 07, 2018 at 11:16 pm

          Ha! Totally get it. I "write" the craziest things sometimes. 🙂 xo

          Reply
      • valentina

        October 07, 2018 at 11:17 pm

        Thank you! Authentic and simple really is the best. It's a really lovely book. 🙂

        Reply
        • David

          April 05, 2022 at 6:50 am

          As usual, I never reported back that we made this and loved it! I used my homemade Worcestershire sauce and it was just fantastic. Thanks for reminding me about it, as I think we need to make it again!

          Reply
          • valentina

            April 11, 2022 at 11:27 pm

            That's awesome, David! So happy you like this one. I've made it many times, and was so happy that Alicia taught us about this dish. 🙂 ~Valentina

            Reply
    8. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      October 09, 2018 at 6:22 am

      My husband's kind of salad for dinner! Simple and bursting with flavor are the best kind of recipes.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 11, 2018 at 8:28 am

        Yes! I agree. Enjoy and thank you!

        Reply
    9. Ron

      October 10, 2018 at 7:28 am

      A truly beautiful dish. Alicia's cookbook looks fantastic and it's now on my official US Christmas list. Thanks for introducing me to Alicia's Delicious El Salvador cookbook.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 11, 2018 at 8:28 am

        Thank you, Ron! Hope Santa bring you the book. 😉

        Reply
    10. John / Kitchen Riffs

      October 10, 2018 at 8:32 am

      Steak and onions? Yes, please -- love that combo. Your version looks great! Sounds like a fun cookbook, too. Thanks!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 11, 2018 at 8:29 am

        Thank you, John! Yes, I'm loving the book.

        Reply
    11. Chef Mimi

      March 26, 2022 at 4:02 pm

      This looks fabulous! Thanks for telling us about this author. I can imagine I would love El Salvadoran food. And my husband would love those meaty onion slices.

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 31, 2022 at 8:02 pm

        Thanks, Mimi. The onions are the best part!! The "icing on the cake," if you will. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    12. Eha

      March 26, 2022 at 8:37 pm

      I know nought about El Salvadorean cooking but the recipe is full of flavour and the book actually available at my favourite Australian on line store - shall certainly take a look ! Now what a small world we live in - you know I was born in Estonia in the Baltics - almost verbatum this is one of the favourite meals made exactly the same and served about weekly in most homes - called 'sibulaklops' or beef collops ! So I know it is good 🙂 !!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 31, 2022 at 8:03 pm

        Hi Eha. That's so interesting that this is a common dish in Estonia! I wouldn't have guessed that. Love it. Thank you for sharing. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    13. Marissa

      March 30, 2022 at 3:16 pm

      This sounds like a cookbook I need to add to my shelf! We love pupusas and curtido, but that's about the extent of my knowledge of Salvadoran recipes. This steak, that looks like it's absolutely bursting with flavor, makes me realize that I need to try more!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 31, 2022 at 8:05 pm

        Hi Marissa, It's a great book and the recipes are fun. We have a favorite local (ish) Salvadoran restaurant and the pupusas are soooo good! Enjoy and thanks. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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