How to cook 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.

Making this recipe will enhance your cooking and food preparation skills and will also help you save some money. Who knows, this might even be a business opportunity for you.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb beef sirloin, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Cooking Procedure

1. In a container, combine soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar and mix well. Set aside
2. Place the beef in the clear plastic bag
3. Pour-in the the mixed seasonings in the clear plastic bag with meat and mix well
4. Place inside the refrigerator and marinade for a minimum of 12 hours
5. In a pan, place 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
6. Add 3 tbsp of cooking oil
7. Put-in the marinated beef tapa and cook until the water evaporates.