Savory, tangy, and garlicky slices of beef in an all-day breakfast meal called “Tapsilog” served alongside an egg and garlic fried rice.
What is Beef Tapa? Back in the day, beef tapa was traditionally made by drying or curing meat to extend its shelf life. Today, it is simply marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and lots of garlic. It is then seared, fried, or grilled. Its flavor profile is similar to adobo – salty, tangy, garlicky with a hint of sweetness. I like them sliced thinly and cooked for a very brief time over high heat, keeping them tender and moist.
What is Tapsilog? It is probably the most common “silog” type of breakfast in the Philippines. Tapsilog is a portmanteau from the Filipino words tapa, sinangag (fried rice), and itlog (egg). It is typically served with atchara (pickled green papaya), tomatoes, cucumbers, and sawsawan (a condiment), usually a spicy vinegar dipping sauce. Aside from beef tapa, other variations for “silog” breakfasts include longsilog (longganisa or sausages), tocilog (tocino or cured pork/chicken), and bangsilog (fried bangus or milkfish).
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Slicing the meat thinly and against the grain are key to tender and flavorful beef tapa.
- These thin slices of meat cook quickly over high heat, keeping them moist and tender.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Beef: My go-to cut for beef tapa would be flank steak — great for marinating, tender, and reasonably priced. Skirt steak, flat iron steak (also called top blade steak), and flap meat (also called sirloin tip) are similar cuts you can use. A more common choice would be beef sirloin –both top sirloin and bottom sirloin or tri-tip. Chuck steak is economical and comes from a larger chuck roast cut. It comes with extra fat, so trimming will be necessary. If you don't mind spending more, boneless short ribs are a good option with their deep marbling, making it tender and flavorful.
- Soy sauce: Use a regular, all-purpose soy sauce. You can use light soy sauce in a pinch, but never dark soy sauce for this recipe.
- Vinegar: Its tangy flavor balances the saltiness of the soy sauce, and the acidity helps tenderize the meat. I used cane vinegar, but you can also use calamansi juice, lemon juice, or other types of vinegar like white vinegar or rice vinegar.
- Sugar: I used brown sugar – you may use any type of sugar you prefer.
- Oil: A small amount of oil in the marinade helps add moisture to the meat. I used olive oil; avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil are some neutral-tasting oil you can use.
How to make this recipe
Prepare the marinade: (1)Grate (or finely mince)the garlic. (2)In a cup or a bowl, mix the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oil, sugar, onion powder, and ground pepper (to taste). Set aside.
TIP: Using a blender to make the marinade (instead of grating or mincing the garlic) into somewhat of a homogenous mixture helps the meat absorb better. Also, you don't have to worry about those garlic pieces being burnt.
Slice the meat: If you have the time, you can partially freeze the meat for about an hour to make slicing easier. (3)Slice the beef thinly (no thicker than ¼ inch) at an angle and against the grain (across the muscle fibers). This is important to ensure that the meat is tender and easy to chew.
Marinate: (4)Combine the sliced beef and the marinade in a zip-top bag or a container. Marinate for at least an hour to overnight. Marinating longer may change the texture of the meat.
Cook: (5)Set a skillet over high heat. When it gets very hot and almost smoking, add just a thin coating of oil. (6)Spread the meat in a single layer. Don't touch them for 2 minutes to get a good sear. (7)Flip and cook the other side for half the time. Transfer to a plate.
TIP: Cook them in batches. Don't crowd the pan to ensure they get a nice caramelization from searing (and not steam). When they steam, you lose the moisture from the meat and end up cooking them longer, making them dry and rubbery.
SERVE: Like any other ulam (viand or main dish), the most common way to serve beef tapa is with rice, or better yet, serve as "Tapsilog" with a fried egg and garlic fried rice.
Frequently asked questions and tips
Start by choosing the right cut of beef (see ingredient notes) and slicing them against the grain. Then let the acid in the marinade do its work. Last but not least, avoid overcooking — those thin slices of beef only need a few minutes to cook.
Marinate the meat for 1 hour to overnight (that’s about 8 hours). Anything longer than that may change the texture since they have been sliced thinly and sitting in an acidic marinade.
The key takeaway
Avoid the common mistake in making beef tapa — overcooking the meat which makes them dry and rubbery.
Watch how I make it here
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📖 Recipe
Filipino Beef Tapa (Tapsilog)
Equipment
- A skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) flank steak see note
- 6 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup (64 grams) vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (33 grams) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) oil more for cooking
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: Grate (or finely mince) the garlic. In a cup or a bowl, mix the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oil, sugar, onion powder, and ground pepper (to taste). Set aside.TIP: Using a blender to make the marinade into somewhat of a homogenous mixture helps the meat absorb better. Also, you don't have to worry about the garlic pieces being burnt.
- Slice the meat: If you have the time, you can partially freeze the meat for about an hour to make slicing easier. Slice the beef thinly (no thicker than ¼ inch) at an angle and against the grain (across the muscle fibers). This is important to ensure that the meat is tender and easy to chew.
- Marinate: Combine the sliced beef and the marinade in a zip-top bag or a container. Marinate the meat for 1 hour to overnight (that's about 8 hours). Anything longer than that may change the texture since they have been sliced thinly and sitting in an acidic marinade.
- Cook: Set a skillet over high heat. When it gets very hot and almost smoking, add just a thin coating of oil. Spread the meat in a single layer. Don't touch them for 2 minutes to get a good sear. Flip and cook the other side for half the time. Transfer them to a plate.TIP: Cook them in batches. Don't crowd the pan to ensure they get a nice caramelization from searing (and not steam). When they steam, you lose the moisture from the meat and end up cooking them longer, making them dry and rubbery.
- Serve: Like any other ulam (viand or main dish), the most common way to serve beef tapa is with rice, or better yet, serve as "Tapsilog" with a fried egg and garlic fried rice.
Video
Notes
- Beef: My go-to cut for beef tapa would be flank steak — great for marinating, tender, and reasonably priced. Skirt steak, flat iron steak (also called top blade steak), and flap meat (also called sirloin tip) are similar cuts you can use. A more common choice would be beef sirloin –both top sirloin and bottom sirloin or tri-tip. Chuck steak is economical and comes from a larger chuck roast cut. It comes with extra fat, so trimming will be necessary. If you don't mind spending more, boneless short ribs are a good option with their deep marbling, making it tender and flavorful.
- Soy sauce: Use a regular, all-purpose soy sauce. You can use light soy sauce in a pinch, but never dark soy sauce for this recipe.
- Vinegar: Its tangy flavor balances the saltiness of the soy sauce, and the acidity helps tenderize the meat. I used cane vinegar, but you can also use calamansi juice, lemon juice, or other types of vinegar like white vinegar or rice vinegar.
- Sugar: I used brown sugar – you may use any type of sugar you prefer.
- Oil: A small amount of oil in the marinade helps add moisture to the meat. I used olive oil; avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil are some neutral-tasting oil you can use.
Bim
I think this is the best beef tapa that I ever tasted. Best for breakfast with eggs and fried rice( I get easy on the rice). It can be also for lunch and dinner, whichever one prefer. Thank you Nora!
Nora
Thank you so much!