In Tampa, many Latin restaurants offer a dish called "Palomilla steak." Palomilla steak should be a thinly pounded steak that has been marinated in lime juice and spices, then quickly fried in a pan and occasionally served with sautéd white onions. Not every restaurant in Tampa serves it this way, however, as many have taken it a step further and breaded the steak before frying. This is technically empanizado (meaning "breaded"), but Tampa natives have come to expect this from most restaurant when ordering Palomilla steak, myself included.
My grandmother used to pick me up from school every Tuesday, and the whole family would congregate at her place in the evening for a homemade meal, which more often than not was bistec empanizado. I've never really studied my grandmother's process of making it, and as I've said before she isn't exactly known for her culinary prowess, but I do know that she fancied short cuts. This meant that instead of pounding out juicy sirloins, she would buy pre-packaged thinly sliced cuts that she may or may not have seasoned before tossing in breadcrumbs (I also have no idea if egg wash was ever part of the equation). And she would fry these steaks hard -- I'm talking until the breadcrumbs went black. Her final touch was the least authentic of them all: a side of Heinz ketchup.
There's plenty of memories surrounded around my grandmother's cooking, and it wasn't until I got older that I realized that she really isn't much of a cook. There were only a handful of recipes that she made for us. Where most grandmothers take pride in cooking and pass on their recipes to their kin, my grandmother sees food as fuel, and can't be bothered with hassle. I was never a student in her kitchen, but I don't resent her for it. Her real superpower is cleaning, anyway.
She is, however, a grandmother, and the grandmother by-laws state that no grandchild is allowed to leave your house hungry, so she always made it a point to feed me. She just preferred ready-made snacks (Jell-O, Cuban crackers, that ubiquitous tin of butter cookies that will eventually be converted into a sewing kit) and culinary shortcuts.
Breaded steak in any form takes me back to memories of my grandmother. And even if this version is more, erm, tasty, it still sends me back to her dining room table on Tuesday nights.
BISTEC EMPANIZADO DE PALOMILLA
PREP TIME: 20 minutes (this is mostly for pounding out the steaks and breading them!)
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 30 minutes
ACTIVE COOK TIME: 6-7 minutes
YIELD: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 c. lime juice (2 limes)
2 tsp kosher salt + more for sprinkling
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 4-oz top sirloin steaks
2 large eggs
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. plain breadcrumbs
neutral oil, for frying
pickled red onions for garnish, recipe follows
DIRECTIONS
In a large freezer bag, combine lime juice, 2 tsp kosher salt, the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Set the bag aside.
Place a steak in-between two pieces of plastic wrap and set it atop a plastic cutting board. Think about someone you really dislike, and pretend that steak is that person's face. Use a meat mallet and begin smashing the meat. Really go for it, continuing until the steak is roughly 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the other five idiotic people's faces... I mean, steaks. Place the flattened steaks in the bag with the lime mixture, and shake around to coat. Allow to marinate 30 minutes, agitating the bag every 10 minutes to ensure even absorption of marinade.
Set up your breading station: in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 tbsp of water until homogenous (always takes longer than you think). In a cookie sheet with a raised lip, pour flour on one side and the breadcrumbs on the other side. This is a great trick for reducing dishes and ensuring your large, flat steaks get evenly coated.
Preheat 1 inch of neutral oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and allow to preheat while you bread your steaks.
Begin breading: Grab one marinated steak and coat evenly in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg and coat evenly, allowing excess to drip. Transfer to breadcrumbs and toss evenly to coat, shaking off excess. Set on a plate or tray, and repeat process with the remaining steaks.
Fry steaks two at a time about 4 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp. Flip and fry an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate or cooling rack. Repeat until all steaks are fried. (If desired, store fried steaks on the cooling rack in a 200°F oven to keep warm.) Serve topped with pickled red onions.
PICKLED RED ONIONS
PREP TIME: 2 minutes
ACTIVE COOK TIME: However long it takes water to boil
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
1 large red onion
1 tbsp your favorite sweetener (I use agave nectar, but honey, maple syrup, or white sugar would work just as well)
1/2 c. translucent vinegar of choice (I prefer apple cider vinegar, but white balsamic, white distilled, rice wine, red wine, or white wine would all work. I would steer away from dark balsamic vinegar so the onions can remain bright pink.)
2 tsp kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
Fill a covered saucepan or kettle with 1 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat. While this is happening, do the rest of your prep.
Remove the outermost layer of the onion. Using a mandoline or killer knife skills, slice the onion into thin rings. Transfer the rings to a jar or bowl. Add sweetener, vinegar, and kosher salt, tossing/shaking to combine.
Once water has boiled, cover the onions with the water and toss/shake again to combine. Allow to cool at room temperature 1 hour before transferring to the refrigerator. These beauties will last about a month in the fridge if you don't use them to top everything you eat before then! They're great on tacos, sandwiches, salads, and cheese boards.
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