Filipino Beef Tapa is easy to make and tastes much better than store-bought. Serve it with garlic fried rice and sunny-side eggs for a classic Tapsilog breakfast!.
A few days ago, I bought a huge piece of sirloin at Seafood City and had the butcher thinly slice it. At about five pounds, it was more than enough for one meal. We had a beef and baby corn stir-fry for lunch yesterday with about two pounds of meat. This weekend for breakfast, I made beef tapas with the rest of the meat.
I have another beef tapa recipe on the blog with another set of flavors. While the procedure is similar, I used a marinade of fish sauce, brown sugar, and minced garlic. Its different but delicious, just the same. You can also try the chicken tapa if youre refraining from red meat.
Beef tapa, a quintessential Filipino breakfast dish, gets its distinctive sweet, salty, and slightly sour flavor from a marinade of soy sauce, calamansi juice, brown sugar, and garlic. Pampanga, located in the central Luzon region, is particularly renowned for its melt-in-your-mouth beef tapa. Follow this guide to learn how to make tasty tapa just like Pampanga’s best.
A Brief History of Beef Tapa
Tapa originated during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines as a way to preserve meat without refrigeration. Thin slices of beef were cured in salt, vinegar, garlic and spices. The word “tapa” comes from the Spanish word “tapar” meaning “to cover”, referring to how the meat was covered in the marinade.
Over time, Filipinos adapted the dish by adding local ingredients like calamansi juice and brown sugar to the curing liquid. Pampanga’s specialty emerged thanks to the province’s skilled culinary talents. Today, tapa remains a staple Filipino breakfast pairing wonderfully with rice and eggs.
Selecting the Right Beef
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Choosenice marbled cuts like sirloin, tenderloin, ribeye, or strip steak.
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Opt for about 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch thick slices, Too thin over-cures; too thick doesn’t absorb flavors well
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Estimate 3-4 ounces of beef per serving for a hearty breakfast portion
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Pork or chicken can also be used, but beef is traditional for tapa.
Prepping the Meat
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Partially freeze beef for 30 minutes before slicing to prevent shredding.
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Use a very sharp knife to slice across the grain into uniform strips.
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Arrange slices in a single layer in a baking dish or sealable plastic bag.
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Remove any excess fat or sinew but leave some marbling for flavor.
Whip Up the Marinade
In a bowl, combine:
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup calamansi juice or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
Stir until sugar fully dissolves. Pour marinade over the beef slices until fully submerged.
Marinating and Curing
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Cover and refrigerate beef in the marinade for 8-12 hours, flipping occasionally.
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The longer it marinates, the more intense the salty-sweet tapa flavor will be.
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Overnight is ideal, but even just 2-3 hours will impart lots of flavors.
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Remove beef from the marinade once the desired flavor is reached.
Cooking the Beef Tapa
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef slices 2-3 minutes per side until caramelized but still tender. Don’t overcook!
Alternatively, broil for 2-4 minutes per side until browned.
Serving Suggestions
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Enjoy Pampanga-style beef tapa with garlic fried rice, eggs, and tomatoes.
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Stuff into a pandesal bread roll for a tasty Filipino breakfast sandwich.
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Top a bowl of hot rice with crispy beef tapa for a complete meal.
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Pair with sinangag (garlic fried rice) and eggs for the classic Filipino breakfast trio.
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Fold into an omelet with onions and tomatoes for a breakfast omelet.
Now you can make this iconic Filipino dish at home! Enjoy your tasty beef tapa Pampanga-style.
How to Make Authentic Pampanga Beef Tapa
This classic tapa recipe from the Philippines’ culinary capital of Pampanga delivers perfectly sweet, salty and tangy thin slices of beef.
Ingredients
- 1 lb sirloin or ribeye, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup calamansi juice or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
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Slice beef across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.
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In a bowl, mix soy sauce, calamansi juice, brown sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt until sugar is dissolved.
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Place beef slices in a shallow dish and pour marinade over to cover completely.
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Marinate refrigerated for 8-12 hours, flipping beef occasionally.
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Remove beef from marinade and pat dry. Discard marinade.
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In a skillet over high heat, cook beef 2-3 minutes per side until caramelized but still tender.
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Serve with garlic fried rice and eggs for authentic Pampanga-style beef tapa.
With this easy tapa recipe, you can enjoy restaurant-quality results at home. The key is finding nice marbled beef, thinly slicing, and taking the time to let the zesty marinade work its magic. Enjoy!
Tips for Making Tender, Flavorful Beef Tapa
Follow these tips to make Pampanga’s famous beef tapa like a pro:
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Use well-marbled sirloin, tenderloin or ribeye for best results.
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Partially freeze beef before slicing thinly across the grain.
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Make sure beef is submerged in the marinade to absorb maximum flavor.
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Let marinate 8-12 hours for best flavor. Longer = more intense tapa taste.
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Flip beef in marinade periodically so all sides absorb flavor.
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Remove beef from marinade once desired saltiness/sweetness is reached.
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Pat beef dry before cooking to get nice sear.
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Cook just until browned but still tender. Don’t overcook!
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Slice against the grain before serving for tenderness.
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Enjoy with rice, eggs, tomatoes, onions for authentic Filipino flavors.
With quality ingredients and the proper marinating time, you can achieve Pampanga’s famous tapa right at home. The sweet, salty and slightly sour thin beef slices are so addictive. Enjoy this Filipino favorite for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
How to make Filipino beef tapa
- In a bowl that won’t react, mix together the soy sauce, calamansi juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Add beef and massage to coat it fully with marinade. Refrigerate overnight to cure. Drain the meat from the marinade.
- Heat oil in a wide pan. Place the beef in a single layer and cook until most of the liquid that the meat gives off has been absorbed.
- Put in more oil and cook the meat until it gets a little brown and caramelized. Remove from pan and cut into serving portions. Serve hot.
What is Filipino tapa
Filipinos eat tapa, which is thin slices of beef, chicken, pork, carabao, or game meat like deer and wild boar. The meat is traditionally cured with salt and spices and dried or smoked as a preservation technique. In recent years, the process has been sped up by not drying the meat but instead marinating it to add flavor.
After preparation, the seasoned meat is fried or grilled until tender and caramelized. Its traditionally eaten as part of the classic Filipino tapsilog.
- Beef: The recipe calls for sirloin, which is very tender and only needs a few minutes in a pan to cook. If you use tougher cuts like bottom round instead, add about a cup of water and simmer the tapa until it’s soft. Then, add oil and finish cooking it in it to make it crisp and brown.
- It gives food a sour taste and makes meat tender by breaking down the proteins on the outside. Lemon and lime are citrus fruits that you can use. You can also use pickle juice, vinegar, wine, or other acidic foods.
- Soy sauce helps foods stay fresh and brings out their savory flavors.
- For extra flavor, minced fresh garlic. Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder will do in a pinch.
- Sugar makes the marinade sweeter and balances out the acidic part. It also helps the meat caramelize.
- Salt– seasons the meat and acts as a brining agent
- Pepper– adds a kick of heat
Pampanga’s Best – Beef Tapa / How to cook Beef tapa? My own version
FAQ
How long is cooked beef tapa good for?
Can i air fryer beef tapa?
Which method of meat processing is used in making beef tapa?
How do you cook Kapampangan?
This Kapampangan delicacy is easy to prepare, freezable, and makes a great all-day breakfast meal! In a bowl, combine beef, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and pepper. Massage meat with the marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or overnight. Drain beef from the marinade. In a pan over medium heat, heat oil.
How do you cook Tapa?
Heat oil in a wide pan. Add beef in a single layer and cook until liquid expelled from the meat is almost absorbed. Add more oil and cook until the meat is lightly browned and caramelized. Remove from pan and cut into serving portions. Serve hot. What is the taste of tapa?
How do you cook beef tapa?
Tapa should be tender and moist, achieved by using the right cut of beef and slicing it against the grain. Marinate the meat long enough to be flavorful without changing its texture. Quickly sear it over high heat without drying it out. Can I freeze beef tapa? You may freeze the beef in its marinade to prolong its shelf life.
How do you cook a pindang Baka?
Keep the meat in the freezer for 3 to 5 days before cooking. When getting ready to cook, thaw the frozen meat till pieces are nearly room temperature. Step 2 – To cook the ‘pindang baka’ or beef tapa: In a large stainless steel skillet, over medium heat, add the thawed beef slices.