Aside from Pork Longganisa, Beef Tapa (cured meat) is another breakfast favorite that is eaten with garlic fried rice and fried egg. You can find it on the menu of Filipino restaurants or fast food chains as “Tapsilog” which literally means tapa (tap – Beef Tapa) + sinangag (si – garlic fried rice) + itlog (log – fried egg). Back in the day, beef tapa is prepared with saltpeter (pottasium nitrate) to help preserve the meat while dry curing under the hot sun. You can still find ready-made beef tapa marketed under different brands at your neighborhood’s Asian store today but it’s loaded with ingredients that you don’t want in your food. Not only does it have preservatives and artificial food coloring, it costs a pretty penny for not a lot of meat.
This is a simple homemade version using thin slices of beef that is seasoned with spices and marinated before frying. It doesn’t contain any preservatives so make sure you cook the whole batch and eat it within a week or store it in the freezer to enjoy later.
Beef Tapa
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef sirloin thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- oil for frying
Instructions
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Place sliced beef sirloin in a zip-top plastic bag.
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Combine coconut aminos, fish sauce, garlic and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour it on top of the beef. Seal the bag and massage it on the counter to fully coat the beef with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
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Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season the beef with sea salt immediately before frying.
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Work in batches of 3 or 4 to avoid crowding the pan.
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Fry each side for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Serve hot with garlic fried rice and egg on top.
This is my favorite meal to make, bar none. It is super easy to make and both my son and I love to eat it. I bring leftovers to work and some of coworkers comment on how good it looks and smells…one of them even made it herself! Thanks for teaching me this recipe, Jenny!
You’re welcome! And yes using the shaved beef from Trader Joe’s makes this recipe so much easier!
I forgot to mention that I use the shaved beef from Trader Joe’s to cut down on the prep time!
Thank you for sharing such an easy and delicious recipe. I made this last night using flank steak. Sliced it thin against the grain and followed steps as suggested. It was terrific. Tender, tasty and satisfying.
I think this is the first recipe I ever made of yours. It’s now a staple in our house. My boys LOVE it!
All of your recipes are so flavorful, easy and quick to make. Saves this busy mom a ton of time and I feel good about the food I feed my family.
Thank you!!
My family is korean yet enjoy this dish so much. Thanks for sharing a healthy version of recipes.
I will try chicken tocino? Next time!