Steak ala Pobre: How I Made a Tomahawk-Looking Steak from the Palengke Taste Sosyal

Spoiler alert: this Steak ala Pobre is no wagyu, with no fancy thermometer required , or a ₱2,000 price tag. Just palengke beef, butter, and good judgment.

The other day, I saw a beautiful-looking steak cut in my neighborhood meat shop that looked suspiciously like steakhouse drama. It had a long rib bone and thick meat, with a bit of marbling, parang tomahawk, but palengke version. I asked how much. “₱340 lang po, ma’am.” My inner budget queen screamed. I bought it. No hesitation. Didn’t even ask the cut.

I didn’t even ask what part it was. I just saw marbling and bone and got excited. At home, I realized: it looked like a ribeye or cowboy steak, and I wanted to do it justice, like something you’d eat with mashed potatoes, not toyo-mansi.

But since this is RelaxLangMom, hindi tayo nagpapaka-fine dining. We do it tipid-style but still chef-y in spirit.

🤔 Why Steak Ala Pobre Isn’t Just Another Steak Recipe

Let me be clear. This isn’t about getting the perfect sear. It’s about getting away with it. This is for the mom who sees those ₱1,500 tomahawks on Instagram and thinks, “Sana ol.” This is for the woman who still has to use the pink plastic chopping board with the corner chipped off because you “might still use it for onion lang naman.”

This is the steak you make when you’re broke but romanticizing your life anyway.

💡 The Maango Problem (and My Favorite ₱0 Hack)

Locally butchered beef often comes with a strong “maango” smell. Not lansa but “maango“. In my island we call it that -it’s that raw, grassy beef scent that clings. Online they call it “gamey.” But that won’t stop us, wais moms, right?

Here’s what worked: Rub the beef with baking soda and leave for 15–20 minutes only. Rinse well. Pat dry. It tenderizes and deodorizes, no need for calamansi or vinegar that turns it into tapa. I learned this the hard way. You’re welcome.

Sous Vide? Yes. But Not the Expensive Machine Kind

I use the Inkbird Sous Vide Stick, stable, easy to clean, and hindi madaling masira. Got mine here:
👉 🛒 Inkbird Sous Vide Precision Cooker on Shopee and here’s the review: Your Sous Vide Starter Kit: What You Need to Get Started
(Yes, this is the exact model I use!) I love Inkbird! All their products are perfect for tinkering moms!

Don’t forget the bag! I use this reusable bag + electric hand pump kit for most meals. If you’re more serious or want to prep in bulk, consider a full-on vacuum sealer + roll pack. Or go lowkey with thick food-grade reusable zip lock style bags and the water displacement trick. No need to pump, no vacuum machine required, just zip and cook.

Back when I didn’t have the sous vide stick yet, I DIY’d with a rice cooker on “Keep Warm” and this:
👉 🛒 Candy Thermometer ₱317

For 1-inch thick palengke tomahawk, here’s my cheat code:

• Temp: 55.5°C
• Time: 2 hours (don’t settle for 1.5—tried it, chewy pa rin)
• Bag it with: salt, pepper, butter, rosemary, garlic

You can also wrap it tightly and poach low and slow. Wag lang sa boiling point. Treat this beef like your ego after two kids, gentle but firm.

🍳 The Sear + The Sauce = Magic!

After sous vide, pat your steak dry. This is key to getting a crust. IMPORTANT! Use lotsa tissue to dry it thouroughtly. (Here’ my favorite B1T1 tissue from Somyth: https://s.shopee.ph/8paBSmGiZO -Really soft and strong!)

Then heat a pan really hot and add a little oil, and more garlic. Add rosemary if you’re feeling fancy. I added the butter last after I got the crust at the end because from last experiments they burn fast! Spoon the butter over like they do in those thirst-trap cooking reels. You’ll feel like Gordon Ramsay, promise.

But wait, don’t wash the kawali. Never wash your pan right after searing. That brown gunk? Gold. Here’s how I make my mom-level pan sauce that tastes like you tried.

🥄 Poor Woman’s Pan Sauce:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion or shallot, chopped
• 2–3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup water + Knorr cube
• 1 tsp Worcestershire or soy sauce
• Optional: A splash of red wine if you have. Really brightens the taste!
• Optional: slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + water) to thicken

Simmer it down, scrape the brown bits, and pour it over your mashed potatoes. Or rice. Or your feelings.

Steps:

1. Add butter to the kawali.
2. Sauté onions and garlic until soft.
3. Pour in broth. Scrape the brown bits.
4. Add soy sauce or Worcestershire.
5. Simmer. Thicken with slurry if you want.
6. Taste and pour over your steak or mashed potato.

💬 So… Was It Worth It?

Absolutely. My ₱340 palengke steak came out juicy, tender, and sosyal-tasting. (And it didnt taste like Tapa this time hooray – not that I have anything against tapa but we want something cool this time). Paired it with mashed potato, poured pan sauce on top, lit a leftover candle from the drawer, and pretended I was in a bistro instead of my dining table beside a fly trap. And the best part? I made it in my tsinelas, while kids were running around the sala, and the laundry was spinning in the background.

Because sometimes, you don’t need a ₱2,000 cut. You just need garlic, butter, and spite.

That’s the kind of luxe I like.

TL;DR? Here’s the Cheat Sheet:

• Buy beef with bone and marbling from the wet market (₱250–₱350)
• Rub with baking soda 15–20 mins, rinse, dry
• Sous vide at 55.5°C for 2 hours (or DIY setup)
• Season with garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, butter
• Sear on a hot pan, spoon butter over
• Make pan sauce from drippings
• Serve with mashed potatoes, not garlic rice this time

📦 Bonus for My Fellow Tipid Mamas:

✨ Tipid Luxe Steak Night Kit (Everything I Use):

• 🔥 Inkbird Sous Vide Stick
• 📏 Candy Thermometer
• 🍳 Cast Iron Pan for Searing
• 💨 Vacuum Sealer (Optional)
• 💨 Vacuum Bags (Optional)

(These are affiliate links. I only recommend stuff I use or trust for my own kitchen. All products I actually use (or would buy again). Affiliate links support the blog at no extra cost to you!)

✨ Want the full “Tipid Luxe Steak Night” PDF? Comment and I’ll send it to you!

📣 Real Talk, Real Moms

This isn’t Pinterest. This is real life. Sometimes your steak has a blue ink mark. Sometimes you’re cooking in tsinelas while kids scream in the background.

But even then—you deserve something nice.

Steak à la Pobre. Pero pang-queen ang lasa.