Beef tapa (for tapsilog)

Tapsilog is my favorite breakfast. Tapsilog is every Filipinos’ favorite. The secret to Pinoys’ beef tapa is the freshness of the meat and lots of garlic. That’s it! The rest is found below:

1 kilo thinly sliced beef sirloin

Marinade:
1 1/2 Tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoon minced garlic (you can add more)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoon vinegar

Mix well all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Dip each slice of beef into the marinade and place in a plastic bag or any shallow plastic container. When all slices has been dipped and placed in the plastic bag/container, pour the remaining marinade over it. Seal the plastic bag/container removing as much air as you can from the container. Let stand for at least overnight in the refrigerator. You may allow it to “cure” for at 2 days. You may also sun dry the meat pieces if you want your tapa to have that rubbery texture. To cook, just fry in little cooking oil. I prefer mine cooked first in a little water. When the water has dried up, that is the time I add oil to fry. This way the tapa is tender and juicy.

Now serve with fried egg and kalo-kalo (sinangag or fried rice). Garnish with slices of tomatoes and atsarang kapayas (papaya pickles).

It is better if you make several servings of tapa. Let’s say one serving of about ½ kilo per meal. You can save a lot than buying tapa from the grocery stores that are probably made from unsold, thus, not fresh meat.

You may also use pork instead of beef. Pork is cheaper than beef.

photo from marketmanila.com

For a demo on how to prepare beef tapa, here's a video:

Tocino (w/ soda)

1 kilo thinly sliced pork with skin removed   

8 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon rock salt

1 cup clear soda (sprite or 7up)

Spread the thinly sliced pork on a chopping board and pound it using a meat tenderizer hammer or with the dull side of a kitchen knife. Mix all ingredients and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours. You may cook the tocino in its marinade. When almost dried up. Add some oil. Turn the tocino frequently to ensure even cooking. Top with fried garlic. Serve with sunny-side-up egg and fried or plain rice.

Children will love this tocino for its sweetish taste. This recipe is good as it does not require any preservative other than sugar and salt used here.  Because of this, it requires refrigeration.

Happy eating!

photo from flickr.com