Bistec empanizado (cuban breaded steak)

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sour orange juice (see Note)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 pounds sirloin steak
1 cup cracker meal (finely ground crackers)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, beaten
Olive oil for sauteing
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Freshly ground pepper

Mix olive oil, sour orange juice, vinegar and chopped onion to make a marinade. Add unpounded beef steaks, cover, and marinate for 20 minutes. Remove steaks from marinade and place them, one at a time, between two pieces of waxed paper. Using a meat mallet, pound steak to 1/4 thickness. Return steaks to marinade.

If you are in a hurry, proceed with the remaining steps. Otherwise, refrigerate and continue marinating for 1 to 4 hours. Remove beef, save marinade.

In a medium bowl, combine cracker meal, garlic powder and salt. Dip wet beef in egg whites, then dip in cracker mixture, coating well on both sides. Saute to desired doneness in olive oil. (We like ours rare!)

Remove from pan and place on plate. Use some of the reserved marinade (with the onions) to deglaze the frying pan; cook at high heat, stirring constantly until onions are cooked and the sauce reduces somewhat. Pour sauce over steaks and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and freshly ground black pepper.

Note: Sour orange juice, naranha agria, is a popular in Cuban cooking.

You can find it by the can in some Latin supermarkets. Or make your own substitution by using 2 parts orange juice, 1 part lemon juice and one part lime juice.

Nutrition facts per serving: 496 calories, 21 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 81 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrates, 42 g protein, 436 mg sodium, 2 g fiber