Bistec de Palomilla

A 20th-century Cuban diner staple, descended from Spanish-influenced bistec encebollado but pounded thin in the American/Cuban-exile style. "Palomilla" refers to the cut — a top-sirloin butterflied flat, popularized in Havana cafeterias in the 1940s–50s and then carried to Miami after 1959. The pounded-thin format made cheap cuts tender quickly on a flattop and fed lunch-rush volume.

1940s–50s Havana cafeteria invention — top sirloin butterflied flat, pounded to a centimeter, seared 60 seconds a side. Carried to Miami after 1959. Mojo marinade only 15–30 minutes; longer and the citrus denatures the meat into chalk. Raw onion lands on hot meat and steam-wilts — never cooked through.

A thin sirloin steak — pounded to about a centimeter — seared fast and topped with onion, chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lime. The onions are most often sautéed in butter until soft and golden before they go on the steak, though some cooks pile on raw white onion and let the heat of the meat half-wilt it. Plate comes with white rice, black beans, and a mountain of fried plantains or shoestring fries (papas fritas). The meat cooks in about a minute a side.

Pounding does two jobs: it tenderizes by physically severing muscle fibers, and it standardizes thickness so the steak cooks edge-to-edge in under two minutes. The marinade is mojo — sour orange, garlic, cumin, oregano — but only briefly (15–30 minutes); longer and the citrus denatures the meat into a chalky texture. The onion finish is the dish's signature: traditionally sautéed in butter until golden, sometimes piled on raw and steam-wilted by the hot meat, and served with parsley and lime.