Beef Tapa

Thinly sliced beef sirloin marinated overnight in soy sauce, calamansi, and garlic then pan-fried until the edges caramelize.

Estimated cost: ₱120–₱140

Prep 480 min · Total 495 min · Serves 1

Nutrition per serving: 488 kcal · 42 g protein · 0 g carbs · 36 g fat

Ingredients

• 200g Beef sirloin (tapa-cut, thinly sliced)
• 1½ tbsp Cooking oil
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Calamansi juice
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Ground black pepper

Steps

1. Combine soy sauce, calamansi juice, minced garlic, sugar, and black pepper in a bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Add beef slices, toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight for maximum tenderness and flavor.
3. Remove beef from marinade and shake off excess — a thin coating is fine, but too much marinade causes steaming instead of browning.
4. Heat oil in a cast iron or non-stick pan over high heat until shimmering and just starting to smoke.
5. Add beef slices in a single layer. Cook for 2–3 minutes undisturbed until the underside caramelizes and develops char spots.
6. Flip and cook for 1–2 more minutes. Cook in batches if necessary — crowding lowers the temperature and prevents browning.
7. Rest for 1 minute off heat. Serve the beef tapa hot as one serving; optional rice, tomatoes, or egg are not included in this meal's macros.

Prices are estimates based on Department of Agriculture price monitoring. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central, FNRI).