BEEF TAPA

Beef Tapa is dried cured beef similar to “Beef Jerky”. This is traditionally prepared by curing the meat with sea salt and letting it dry directly under the sun for the purpose of preserving the meat. Nowadays, commercialized Beef Tapa are often cured but most do not undergo drying.Tapa is usually fried and is best served with vinegar.

A  popular combination called “Tapsilog”  is commonly served in eateries called tapsihan and gotohan. Tapsilog is an abbreviation for Tapa, Sinangag (Fried Rice), and Itlog (Fried egg). Other meats used to make tapa are: Carabao’s meat (tapang kalabaw) , Deer’s meat (tapang Usa), Wild Boar’s meat (tapang Baboy Ramo),and horse’s meat (tapang kabayo). Speaking of tapang kabayo, Matty’s tapsilogan in Don Galo, Paranaque serves one of the best tapang kabayo in the Las Pinas-Paranaque-Muntinlupa area.

1/2 kg. beef sirloin – thinly sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vinegar (sukang Iloko if available)
1 tsp. black pepper powder/ground

Instructions:
1) Mix the spices or seasonings together (soy sauce, sugar, salt, vinegar and pepper).
2) Put the beef in a bowl, then add the mixed seasonings into it.
3) Marinate for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
4) In a tray, place the marinated beef and dry it directly under the heat of the sun for 2-3 hours depending on the thickness of the beef slices. Make sure that the beef is free from flies by covering it with clean net bag or cloth.
Note: If you want a dry, crunchy tapa…let it stay under the sun for longer hours. But if you want a juicy tapa, let it stay under the sun for 1-2 hours.
5) In a pan, place 1 cup of water and the beef tapa and let it boil.
6) Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil and cook until water evaporates.
7) Ready to serve. Perfect with fried rice and over-easy eggs.