Beef Tapa from Philippines

Beef Tapa

Beef Tapa

Course: Beef, In Progress, Main CourseDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

48

hours 
Cooking time

20

minutes
Calories per serving

650

kcal
Beef tapa is probably one of the best and popular Pinoy recipe in the Philippines, or at least where I grew up. I don’t know anybody who does not like beef tapa, especially when it is served with fried rice and fried eggs, or what we call “tapsilog” which is an acronym of tapa (beef jerky), sinangag (fried rice), and itlog (egg).

Those beef tapa or beef jerky that are being sold anywhere in the area of Pasig and Makati are quite good. But it is not the same as what my grandma would make. Her version is not marinated but rather sun-dried. We used to sell fish in the market and we dry the leftover fish and sell it so it won’t go to waste. So she does the same thing with meat. I remember that we did not have electricity in the province way back then so there was no refrigerator where we can store leftover foods. So whenever we get some meat, which was very rarely, she would just rub a lot of rock salt and ground black pepper on it and let it dry under the sun. And she would do that not only with beef but also with pork. I remember that she would take the part of the meat that has a lot of fat and that was the best.
I worked in Makati City and Ortigas before I left the Philippines. And for someone like me who weren’t making enough income, I have to be frugal and had to save as much as I can. I worked nights and slept during the day. And I am pretty sure that tapsilog or should I say beef tapa, has been part of everybody’s life, especially those who work in Makati or Ortigas. Well, at least it has always been a part of my life. I don’t really know about the others.
I remember that every time I take a break from work, I would just go to the rolling store (they call it jollyjeep) wherein they sell tapsilog, longsilog, and tocilog. It was pretty convenient and very affordable. Also, the taste was not that bad, it was not actually as good as my grandma’s Pinoy recipe of beef tapa, but it was actually good. How I miss those days. When we get a chance to go back to the Philippines, I would bring my husband to Makati and Ortigas and let him have the taste of tapsilog from the rolling store.

Ingredients

  • 450 g (1 lb) beef sirloin, very thinly sliced, preferably with fats

  • Sea salt or rock salt

  • Freshly cracked ground black pepper

  • 5 cloves crushed garlic (optional)

  • 1/4 cup vinegar of your choice (optional)

Directions

  • Clean the beef and dry it with paper towels.
  • Combine the crushed garlic and vinegar. Set aside.
  • Rub a lot of salt and ground black pepper on each side of the meat.
  • Pour the vinegar and garlic mixture in a container.
  • Put the meat together with the vinegar and garlic.
  • Cure for 2 days inside the refrigerator.
  • Then sauté the meat on both sides for 10 minutes using medium heat.
  • Serve with fried rice and fried eggs.

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