What Kind Of Cut Is Best To Use For Palomilla Steak?

The Bistec de palomilla or palomilla steak is a popular dish of Cuban origin. It's a thin slice of steak that is typically seasoned in marinade, pan-fried, and served with white rice. It's known for being zesty and flavorful, but what exactly is a palomilla steak, and what sort of cut should you use? You can't just slice up any steak and call it a palomilla. Instead, a palomilla steak comes from a very specific cut. 

The steak is traditionally made using top sirloin. Known to be tender and flavorful, the top sirloin is the perfect cut for the palomilla because it's easy to chew. However, unlike other cuts of beef, top sirloin doesn't have as much marbling and gristle. It's a leaner piece of meat than some steaks, which makes it perfect to cut into a thinner slice. It's also more readily available and less expensive than, say, a T-bone steak. Since you're cutting this steak thin, you probably wouldn't want to hack up a more expensive cut. Those steaks would generally be enjoyed thicker and cooked medium rare for steak purists. Meanwhile, the palomilla given its size is typically cooked well done and sliced more thinly.

As mentioned above, the trick to the palomilla steak is all in the slice, but exactly how thick should you slice the steak? Well, get ready to break out your ruler and measuring tape because you should slice your top sirloin just 1/4 inch thick. It's a very delicate slice that not everyone may be comfortable making. So your best bet will probably be getting your local butcher to slice the sirloin before you buy the steak. This leaves out a lot of the guesswork on your part. 

Alternatively, if you're feeling adventurous, you can try to slice your own steak at home. We recommend freezing the steak ahead of time to make it firmer to slice. Additionally, to avoid any accidents in the kitchen, be careful when handling the knife. It's better to turn the steak on its side and slice downward than to try to slice the meat horizontally. If you're feeling particularly frustrated with your slices, you can also flatten your steak to ¼ inch thick by using a rolling pin. Just apply pressure until you get the appropriate size that you need for the dish then proceed. 

Top sirloin is important to the identity of palomilla. Since the steak is going to be cut thin and cooked well done, you need a piece of meat that's tender but also firm enough to hold up to pan searing. The tenderness of the meat is what helps set the palomilla apart from other beef dishes such as diezmillo. Diezmillo is made from chuck roast which gives it a heartier texture and stronger flavor than palomilla steak for instance. Likewise, the Bistec de Cañada may also be thinly sliced, but it's typically tougher to chew due to its meat coming from top round steak instead of top sirloin steak.

Bistec de churrasco is more of a skirt steak and is longer but less thin than the palomilla steak. Knowing the differences between these cuts of meat will help you make an informed decision when it comes to dinner. However, some accounts of palomilla suggest it can be fixed with the bottom part of the sirloin, which would affect the overall texture and presentation of the dish. This meat is typically tougher than top sirloin so you would likely tell the difference. If you're using this, then consider tenderizing it beforehand.