Breaded steak with mojo sauce (Bistec empanizado con mojo)

Bistec empanizado con mojo is a Cuban dish that consists of a breaded, fried steak that is served with a garlic and citrus-based sauce called mojo. It is a popular Cuban dish and is often served with rice and beans.

Breaded steak with mojo sauce (Bistec empanizado con mojo) Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 x 130 g thin steaks for crumbing
• salt
• ½ cup plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
• oil for frying (grapeseed, avocado or rice bran)
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced, to serve
• cooked rice, to serve
• Cuban-style black beans, to serve

Mojo

• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tbsp chopped oregano leaves
• ½ orange, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Season the steaks with salt on both sides. Make a crumbing station: place the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow medium bowls. Dip the seasoned steaks in the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, ensuring they are well coated. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate while you make the mojo.
2. To make the mojo, crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt until it reaches a smooth paste. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
3. Heat a large frying pan over high heat and pour in oil, thick enough to coat the bottom of the pan (at least 1 cm thick).
4. When hot, fry the steaks for 2 minutes per side, or until golden.
5. Divide the steaks between plates, drizzle with mojo and serve with onion rings, Cuban-style black beans and cooked rice.

Note

• To make Cuban-style black beans; Soak 2 cups black beans in cold water overnight. The next day, simmer them over low heat, covered by at least 4 cm of cold water with a ¼ of a green capsicum until they are tender, about 1½ hours. Alternatively you can use 1 can of whole black beans. When tender, scoop a ladle full of the beans with the liquid and add to a blender with a quartered brown onion and a de-seeded red capsicum. Puree into smooth paste and stir back through the black beans. Discard the green capsicum. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Season with salt, a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar, a ¼ cup of olive oil and a couple pinches of sugar.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.