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    Posted In: Cuban Recipes, Sandwiches & Sliders
    April 28, 2021 — by Julie — 1 Comment

    Home » Cuban Recipes » Pan con Bistec

    Pan con Bistec

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    Pan con Bistec is a pressed Cuban steak sandwich made with caramelized onions, fried steak, and crispy potato sticks. Super easy to make, packed with flavor, and requires minimal ingredients.

    I grew up eating Cuban food and try to whip up Cuban recipes at least twice a month. Some of my favorite Cuban recipes include Cuban spaghetti, congri, and Cuban stuffed peppers.

    pan con bistec (steak sandwich) on a wooden board.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

    If you’ve ever visited Miami then you’ve probably eaten a pan con bistec sandwich. It’s super popular in cafes and restaurants and for good reason. Now you can make it at home, it’s so easy. The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting around while the onions caramelize. It takes about 20 minutes for the onions to cook, but after that, it’s a piece of cake. This sandwich comes together so easily and can be served with French fries, onion rings, or tomato avocado salad.

    Ingredient’s You’ll Need

    ingredients for pan con bistec. Spices in a small bowl, mayo in a bowl, steaks, lime, garlic, onion, butter, and potato straws.

    Recipe Ingredient Notes

    • Steak – You can use any type of thin-sliced beef. Top loin sirloin, palomilla, rib eye, etc.
    • Sazon – I used sazon completa, which is a spice blend that includes, oregano, cumin, garlic, powder, salt, and onion powder. It can be found in the Hispanic aisle at your local supermarket.
    • Bread – Ideally you’ll want to use Cuban bread, but feel free to use French or Italian bread.
    • Onions – Pan con bistec isn’t complete without caramelized onions.
    • Garlic Mayo – this is my secret ingredient. Some people don’t add mayo to their pan con bistec sandwiches but I feel like it adds tons of extra flavor.
    • Potato Sticks -adds crunch and saltiness. If you don’t have these on hand, feel free to use crushed potato chips instead.

    How To Make Pan con Bistec

    1. Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the onions to a large skillet with oil and cook over medium-low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
    2. While the onions cook, season the steaks with sazon and fresh lime juice. Once the onions are nice and caramelized remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
    3. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. While the steaks cook, add 2 minced garlic cloves to the mayo and mix well. Season the mayo with salt.
    4. Add 1-2 tbsp of mayo to the bread along with the steak, caramelized onions, and potato sticks. Brush the bread with some butter and cook in a panini press according to manufacturer instructions.
    a hand holding pan con bistec up close.

    Recipe FAQS And Top Tips

    Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?

    Absolutely, in fact I encourage marinating the steaks the night before, they’ll be so much more flavorful. You can also caramelize the onions the night before. Place the onions in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

    Can I Make This Without Sazon?

    Yes, if you can’t find sazon or don’t want to use it feel free to season the steaks with your favorite steak seasoning.

    I Don’t Own a Panini Press Can I Still Make This?

    Absolutely, melt some butter in a large skillet and place your sandwich in the skillet then press it down using a heavy cast-iron skillet.

    Can I Add Cheese?

    You can add any toppings you want however this sandwich traditionally doesn’t include cheese.

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!

    Pan con Bistec

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Cuban
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Author: Julie Maestre
    Pan con Bistec is a pressed Cuban steak sandwich made with caramelized onions, fried steak, and crispy potato sticks. Super easy to make, packed with flavor, and requires minimal ingredients.

    Equipment

    • Panini Press

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 lb steak thinly sliced
    • 1 lime
    • 2 onions sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves pressed or finely minced
    • 1/4 cup mayo
    • Sazon completa (all-purpose seasoning) to taste
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • Oil
    • Bread
    • 2 tbsp Butter
    • 1 cup potato sticks

    Instructions

    • Add the onions to a large skillet with oil and cook over medium-low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. 
    • While the onions cook, season the steaks with sazon and fresh lime juice. Once the onions are nice and caramelized remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
    • Add the steaks to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. While the steaks cook, add 2 minced garlic cloves to the mayo and mix well. Season the mayo with salt. 
    • Add 1-2 tbsp of mayo to the bread along with the steak, caramelized onions, and potato straws. Brush the bread with some butter and cook in a panini press according to manufacturer instructions. 

    Notes

    • If you can’t find sazon completa, use your favorite steak seasoning. 
    • If you don’t own a panini press, melt some butter in a large skillet and place your sandwich in the skillet then press it down using a heavy cast-iron skillet. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

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    Filed Under: Cuban Recipes, Sandwiches & Sliders

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    Comments

    1. Robin says

      April 28, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      I remember eating this and it’s was so yummy. I was born and raised in MIami. Lived there until 1986.i miss some of the Cuban food..

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Julie! I’m extremely fortunate to make a living doing what I truly love – creating and sharing my favorite “can’t live without” recipes with readers from all over the world.

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