Beef Tapa marinated in fish sauce, brown sugar, and fresh garlic. This Kapampangan delicacy is easy to prepare, freezable, and makes a great all-day breakfast meal!
This recipe is another of my favorite ways to prepare beef tapa. While the other tapa version takes its flavor from freshly squeezed calamansi juice, soy sauce, and minced garlic, this one is seasoned with fish sauce, brown sugar, and garlic.
Although each uses a different set of marinades, they’re similar in their procedure and are both delicious in their own right. Perfect for Tapsilog meals!
Marinade ingredients
Fish sauce-adds salty umami and savory flavor
Brown sugar-acts as a sweetener and helps with caramelization
Minced garlic-boosts flavor; fresh is best, but garlic powder will work in a pinch
Ground black pepper-adds spice
Cooking tips
Slice the beef for faster cooking and across the grain for a tender chew. Freeze the meat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly firm to make cutting easier.
Do not marinate for too long lest the taste becomes overly salty.
The recipe calls for sirloin which takes but a few minutes of pan-frying to cook. It using tougher cuts such as bottom round, add about 1 cup of water and simmer the tapa until tender before finishing in oil to brown and caramelize.
How to serve?
Serve beef tapa with garlic fried rice and sunny side up eggs for a hearty and tasty all-day breakfast. Enjoy with spiced vinegar for dipping or atchara as a sweet and tangy condiment.
Cooked tapa will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To store longer, transfer the uncooked meat to an airtight container or resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months for future cravings.
