BISTEC DE PALOMILLA

Steps:

• 1. Remove the steak from the packaging and place onto a plate. Sprinkle with adobo seasoning, black pepper, a little garlic powder, and lime juice on both sides. Rub the minced garlic into the steak with all of the seasonings, and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge.
• 2. In a pot with a tight fitting lid, bring the water to a boil. Add salt before boiling. In a heavy bottomed skillet, add canola oil to the pan and allow the pan to heat on medium high heat. Rinse the rice in a mesh colander, to remove all of the starch from the rice. This step is very important! The rinsing of the rice makes all the difference. From there, you will add the rice to the hot oil in the skillet. Fry the rice over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Rice is ready to add to boiling water when it becomes clumpy. Add rice to boiling water, and stir once. Cover the pot, and turn the heat down to 4 or low/simmer. Allow the rice to simmer/steam, uninterrupted, for 25-30 minutes. Do NOT remove the lid from the pot, or else the steam which is necessary to cook the rice will escape and you will end up with hard rice.
• 3. After about 15 or so minutes of the rice cooking, you can feel free to begin the next step. Slice the onion very thinly and add two tablespoons of butter to a heavy bottomed skillet. Over medium heat, allow the pan to heat up and the butter to melt. Add the onion, add a dash of salt and pepper, and saute, caramelizing the onions. This should take 7-9 minutes or so. Remove from the pan, and place on a plate or in a bowl for the time being.
• 4. Add two tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Allow to heat up and melt nicely over medium high heat. Remove meat from the refrigerator, and add to the pan - avoiding overcrowding the meat. If you need to cook in batches, feel free. You will want to sear the steak on both sides, which is why we are using medium high heat here. You don't want to overcook the steak as it will become tough and hard to cut and chew. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side, and remove from the pan to a plate.
• 5. Heat up a can of black bean soup in a small sauce pan. This will be served over the rice. Add a bit of water to thin out the sauce, and let it cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and beans are softened. Or, you could microwave the beans in a microwave safe bowl. Once the rice is finished, this will be served over the top.
• 6. Once rice is finished, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Allow the lid to sit off of the rice for about 5 minutes to allow excess steam to escape. Turn heat off, and remove pan from the burner. Serve the rice with a hearty scoop of blackbeans and sauce over the rice, and add a slice of steak with the caremlized onions on top. If you'd like, you can add some more lime juice to the steak once you plate it up for a truly authentic flavor. The more lime, the better when it comes to this recipe! The citrus really sets off the flavor of the garlic in this recipe.