Made this for dinner tonight - haven't had it in a while. Turned out wonderful!
Bistec en Cazuela is a typical Cuban meat dish - Bistec is the word for steak (actually a 'cubanized' and shortened pronunciation of beef steak) and en cazuela means in a pot or casserole. A steak you cook in a pot instead of grilling or broiling, in other words.
This dish can also be made in the pressure cooker.
2 6-8 oz sirloin steaks, lean, thin-cut (*)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 bay leaf, whole
2-oz tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon sliced Spanish olives (optional)
salt, to taste
The steaks need to be cut very thin; sprinkle with the lime juice, cover and set in refrigerator for at least half an hour and no more than 1 hour.
In a skillet, with the stove set to medium, add oil, onions, garlic, cumin, bay leaf and tomato sauce so as to create what we call a "sofrito". Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until desired consistency.
Add the steaks for another 2 minutes. Add the wine, olives (if using), and salt. Stir thoroughly and if you feel you want to add a little bit more of any one ingredient, feel free.
Cover and cook on medium low for 10 minutes. Serve with white fluffy rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
(*) Other less expensive cuts of meat can be served with you add more liquid and cook the meat a bit longer to make it tender.
