Tapa is a type of marinated dried meat that is very popular in the Philippines. Traditionally it was left to dry in the sun for several days, but today most people speed up the drying process by frying the meat after marinating it for several hours in the refrigerator. Tapa goes great with fried rice, but is often served on its own for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ingrediants
- 1/2 kg of sliced beef steaks (excellent cuts are the round, the shoulder and the bavetta)
- 30 ml of soy sauce
- 120 ml of rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of ground pepper
- 1 head of garlic, cleaned and chopped
Optional ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 60 g of brown sugar
- Chopped cayenne pepper
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Basic Beef Tapa Recipe
Step 1. Cut the beef into thin slices about the size of a little finger
Make the cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers. To do this, find the long horizontal strips that run through the meat and cut perpendicularly to them.
Do not worry about leaving a little fat attached, it will be needed later during cooking
Step 2. Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and garlic in a bowl
Cut the garlic into small pieces. Mix the ingredients well.
Step 3. Take the beef and mix it with the marinade
Allow the meat to absorb the liquid by using your fingers to gently massage it. Imagine - really! - to give a massage to someone you love!
Step 4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
Make sure you seal the container well: the beef will have to marinate for quite some time.
The smells and flavors in the air will mix with those of the meat if you leave it uncovered, changing the flavor of the tapa
Step 5. Refrigerate for 1-3 days
If you are in a hurry, you can leave it to marinate for just one night. However, the longer you let the meat sit, the better it will taste.
Step 6. When the tapa has finished marinating time, heat a large skillet over medium heat
You can put a little oil on the bottom of the pan, but it is not necessary.
Step 7. Pour the meat and marinade into the hot pan
So you will collect all the juice. Turn the beef regularly, every 1-2 minutes, to prevent it from burning.
Step 8. Cook the meat until the liquid evaporates and is completely absorbed
You can cook the beef for another 2-3 minutes if you want it to become crunchy on the outside.
If the liquid evaporates and you want to cook the meat a little longer, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan to fry the beef
Method 2 of 3: Variations
Step 1. Try different types of meat
The most common version of tapa is made with beef, but in Filipino cuisine there are many versions, for example:
- Tapang Use: with venison.
- Tapang Baboy Branch: with wild boar meat.
- Tapand Kabayo: with horse meat.
- You can also try pork shoulder or bacon, or use different cuts of beef, such as those used for roasts.
Step 2. Replace the vinegar with lemon juice for a more acidulous tapa
Usually you have to add a little sugar to reduce the sourness a bit, but this recipe will give the tapa a nice sweet and sour flavor.
You can also combine them, using half vinegar and half lemon juice
Step 3. Add brown sugar for a sweetish flavor reminiscent of molasses
Sugar also helps caramelize the outside of the meat, but you will need to turn it more often to prevent it from burning.
Step 4. Add spices such as cayenne pepper to give the tapa a spicy boost
An extra spoonful of black pepper, chilli or Sriracha (Thai hot sauce) will give the tapa a delicious spicy flavor.
Step 5. Cook the meat without liquid to give the dish crunchiness
For some people, cooking meat with the marinade gives the beef a too soft texture. If you prefer it to be more crunchy, drain the meat before putting it in the pan. Use 1-2 tablespoons of oil suitable for high temperatures (vegetable, sesame or canola) to fry the meat instead of cooking it in liquid.
Method 3 of 3: Make Tapsilog (Tapa and Fried Rice)
Step 1. Serve the tapa with fried rice and eggs for a traditional Filipino breakfast
It is called Tapsilog because it is a set of three foods, Tapa (beef), Yesnangag (fried rice) and It log (fried egg), and is a Filipino breakfast classic.
Step 2. When the meat is almost ready, break an egg into the tapa pan
Add the egg when there are 2-3 minutes left until the meat is cooked. Prepare an egg for each serving.
Step 3. Cook and drain 200g of rice
It will have to be slightly behind from cooking.
Step 4. In a pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat
You will need to put in enough oil to grease the rice well.
Step 5. Chop and sauté 2-3 cloves of garlic and half an onion in the oil
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are semi-transparent.
Step 6. Add the rice and mix
It must be well anointed.
Step 7. Cook the rice for 4-5 minutes
Add salt and pepper and stir frequently to keep it from burning.
Step 8. Serve the egg and tapa over the rice
If you have limited space to cook, you can prepare the rice in advance and reheat it just before serving.
To heat the rice, put a drop of oil and 2-3 tablespoons of water in a pan and cook the rice covered over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir frequently
Step 9. Serve the dish accompanied by a Filipino vinegar sauce for a more authentic flavor
The vinegar sauce is easy to prepare if you have the ingredients available. Simply, mix in a bowl:
- 360 ml of white vinegar.
- 1 medium onion, chopped.
- 4 minced garlic cloves.
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
- 1 teaspoon of salt.
- 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- a teaspoon of ground pepper.
