My Palomilla Steak recipe is thin steak that has been perfectly marinated and then quickly pan-seared. Topped with onions, it’s a classic Cuban dish.
Having spent a good part of my childhood in South Florida, I grew up on Cuban food. Mojo Pork has always been one of my favorites, and their Pollo a la Plancha is one of my go-to recipes for a quick and easy dinner.
Today’s Palomilla Steak is another Cuban restaurant staple. It’s simply a thin steak that sears up really quick. The secret is in the marinade, which gives it a ton of flavor. Though the cooking methods are a bit different, this dish is similar to our Puerto Rican Bistec Encebollado, which is one of our most popular recipes.
What Cut of Steak to Use?
Today I am using top sirloin. Another great choice is top round. The thing about this dish is that it’s meant to be a way to utilize cheaper, tougher cuts of meat. That’s why they are very thin.
Although you can buy already thin cuts, my preference is to buy thicker cuts and then pound them flat with a meat mallet. This helps to tenderize them. I typically buy a top sirloin or round steak which is about an inch thick, cut it into 4 or 5 pieces, then pound each piece to half an inch thick.
To save yourself from having to do the pounding step, cubed steaks are also a great choice.
Another option is to use either flank steak or skirt steak. It’s not really traditional, but is still very tasty.
Ingredients Needed
- Steak – Again, I am using top sirloin this time.
- Olive oil – For both marinating and cooking.
- Garlic – An absolute must for Cuban food.
- Lime juice – This gives it a nice tang, and helps tenderize the meat while marinating.
- Sazon Completa – This is a Latin seasoning. If it’s not in your supermarket spice aisle, check the international foods section. Or, you can always order it online. I use Goya brand.
- Oregano – Another key component to the marinade. If I have fresh oregano on hand, I use 1 tablespoon, as it is less potent than dried.
- Cumin – Another standard Latin seasoning.
- Onion – It’s a key component of the recipe, but I always pick it off because I don’t eat onion. Alpana and Noah eat it though.
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Palomilla Steak
If the steak is not thin, I pound it with a meat mallet to ½ inch thick. I recommend first placing it in a zip top bag, or covering in parchment paper to avoid splattering.
Next, I prepare the marinade by mixing together 2 Tbsp olive oil, chopped garlic, lime juice, 2 tsp Sazon completa, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
Then, I place the steak in a large zip top bag and pour in the prepared marinade. I make sure all sides of steak are well coated in the marinade, squeeze out as much air as possible, and then seal the bag. I like to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, and remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
When ready to cook, I heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Once hot, I sear the steak for 2 minutes per side, then remove it to a plate.
Finally, I reduce heat to medium-high and add sliced onion and remaining ½ tsp Sazon completa to the pan. I cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent.
Serve steak topped with onions with your preferred sides.
Serving Suggestions
The most traditional sides for Palomilla Steak are white rice, Cuban Black Beans, and maduros (sweet plantains), though we often serve it with Tostones (fried green plantains).
That being said, sometimes we mix it up, especially the rice component. It’s really nice with Cilantro Lime Rice and Arroz con Gandules. The latter is a Puerto Rican rice with pigeon peas, and it pairs perfectly with this dish.
It goes great with a sweet component, which is why Cubans usually eat it with maduros. Another great option is Mango Salsa, especially in summer when they’re at the peak of season.
I hope you love my Palomilla Steak as much as we do. It’s such a quick and easy dinner, you just have to think ahead and get that marination going.
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Palomilla Steak, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More great Latin American recipes:
Caldo de Camaron
Pozole Rojo
Peruvian Beans
Espagueti Verde
Birria Tacos
Fricase de Pollo
Carne Mechada
Arepas
Palomilla Steak (Bistec de Palomilla)
My Palomilla Steak recipe is thin steak perfectly marinated and then quickly pan seared. Topped with onions, it's a classic Cuban dish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds top sirloin
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2.5 tsp Sazon completa seasoning
- 1.5 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 large onion, sliced
Instructions
- If the steak is not thin, pound it with a meat mallet to ½ inch thick. I recommend first placing it in a zip top bag, or covering in parchment paper to avoid splattering. If it is one single large steak, first cut it into chunks, then pound them flat.
- In a bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp olive oil, chopped garlic, lime juice, 2 tsp Sazon completa, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Place the steak in a large zip top bag and pour in prepared marinade. Make sure all sides of steak are well coated in the marinade. Squeeze out as much air as possible, then seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Remove the marinating steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
- Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Once hot, sear the steak for 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and add sliced onion and remaining ½ tsp Sazon completa to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent.
- Serve steak topped with onions along with rice, black beans, and tostones or maduros.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 706Total Fat 46gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 209mgSodium 1371mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 62g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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