Tapa is a typical Filipino dish in the form of cured dried meat. In the past, tapa was dried by drying in the sun for several days. Now, the tapa drying process is done faster by frying the meat after it has been preserved in the refrigerator for several hours. Tapa is best served with fried rice, but tapa can also be served alone for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Ingredients
- 450 grams beef steak, sliced (round, chuck, and flank are popular cuts of meat)
- 1/8 cup soy sauce
- cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pepper powder
- 1 clove of garlic, cleaned and chopped
Optional Material
- 1 lemon
- cup palm sugar
- Condiments such as cayenne pepper powder, red pepper flakes, and chili powder
Step
Method 1 of 3: Basic Cow Retreat
Step 1. Slice the meat thinly wide
Slice the meat against the grain. The trick is to look at the horizontal part of the fiber on the meat and then cut the fiber vertically.
Use less fat on the meat. Fat will help the process of cooking the meat
Step 2. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and garlic in a bowl
Coarsely chop the garlic. Stir the marinade ingredients until smooth.
Step 3. Put the meat into the marinade and then knead the meat with the spices until it is absorbed
Let the spices soak into the meat while kneading slowly. Gently knead the meat as if you were massaging a loved one.
Step 4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap as the meat will marinate for a long time.
If it is not tightly closed, the aroma and air in the refrigerator will be mixed with the tapa being soaked so that it can change the taste of the tapa
Step 5. Store the tapa in the refrigerator for 1-3 days
If you are in a hurry, tapas can be kept overnight. However, the longer the meat is marinated, the better it will taste.
Step 6. When the tapa has finished soaking in the spices, heat a large skillet over medium heat
You can add a little oil to the pan.
Step 7. Put the meat and marinade in a hot skillet
Let the beef juice remain in the pan. Turn the meat occasionally, every 1 or 2 minutes, so the meat doesn't burn.
Step 8. Cook the meat until the liquid runs out and absorbs
The meat can be re-cooked for 2-3 minutes so that the edges of the meat are crispier.
If you still want to cook the meat even after the liquid has run out, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet
Method 2 of 3: Variations
Step 1. Try a variety of meats for a varied tapa
The famous tapa is made from beef, but there are various variations of tapa in Filipino cuisine:
-
Tapang USA:
Venison
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Tapang Babboy Ramo:
Wild boar meat
-
Tapand Kabayo:
horse meat
- You can also use pork shoulder or pork belly or other cuts of beef.
Step 2. Replace vinegar with lemon juice to make a tapa tart
Sugar is usually used to remove a bit of sourness, but this recipe will make a tapa with a nice sweet and sour taste.
You are free to mix the liquid, for example by mixing half vinegar and half lemon juice
Step 3. Add palm sugar for a sweet, molasses-like taste
The sugar will caramelize the outside of the meat, but the meat needs to be turned over frequently to prevent it from burning.
Step 4. Add spices such as cayenne pepper for a sharper tapa taste
Add 1 tablespoon ground pepper, cayenne pepper, or Sriracha sauce for a spicy and delicious tapa.
Step 5. Cook the meat without liquid to get a more crunchy texture
For some people, cooking meat with liquid will make the meat a bit tough. You can strain the liquid to make the meat crispier. Use 1-2 tablespoons of high-temperature oil (vegetable oil, sesame oil, and canola oil) to cook the meat without any liquid.
Method 3 of 3: Making Tapsilog (Tapa and Fried Rice)
Step 1. Serve tapa with fried rice and eggs for breakfast
This dish is called Tapsilog because it consists of three dishes, Tap' a (beef), Si nangag (fried rice), and It log (fried egg), It is a typical Filipino breakfast dish.
Step 2. Cook the eggs in the pan used to cook the tapa after the tapa is cooked
Cook the eggs 2-3 minutes before the tapa is cooked. Cook 1 egg for each person.
Step 3. Cook and strain a cup of rice
Use slightly undercooked rice to make fried rice.
Step 4. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat
Make sure that there is enough oil to cook the whole rice.
Step 5. Chop and fry 2-3 cloves of garlic and half an onion in hot oil
Saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onions change color.
Step 6. Put the rice in the oil and mix well
Make sure that all the rice is mixed with the oil.
Step 7. Cook for 4-5 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir the rice so it doesn't burn.
Step 8. Serve the eggs and tapa over the rice
If you don't have much time, you can cook the rice first and then reheat the rice before serving.
To heat the rice, add a drop of oil and 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan and then heat the rice over low heat. Cover the pan for 4-5 minutes then stir again
Step 9. Serve with Filipino vinegar sauce for a delicious and authentic taste
Vinegar sauce is very easy to make if you have the necessary ingredients. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl:
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 medium size onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
