Sweet and Salty Filipino Pork Tapa

I am a chef on a luxury world cruise liner. I love to cook and write recipes that are inspired by foods from all over the world.

In the Philippines, tapa refers to cured slices of meat. The most common meat used when making this dish is beef. Traditionally, tapa is usually served as a breakfast dish along with fried garlic rice and sunny-side-up eggs. Though tapa is usually associated with breakfast, many restaurants and eateries offer this dish at all times of day. The flavor of this dish may vary from sweet, salty, or spicy. For this recipe, I made a non-traditional sweet and salty pork tapa that I can enjoy at home.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo pork, sliced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• water, as needed
• cooking oil, for frying

Utensils

For preparing:

• Plate
• 1 medium bowl
• 2 small bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Spoon

For cooking:

• Frying pan
• Slotted spatula

Cook Time

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the pork. Mix until the solids are well dissolved.
2. Add pork slices. Marinate for at least a 2 hours (or overnight).
3. Once the marination step is complete, transfer the pork and the marinade together into a pot. Add water as needed (start with 1 cup; then adjust if necessary).
4. Simmer for at least 8 minutes or until the pork is tender.
5. When the meat is tender, add a little bit of oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Serve pork tapa with fried garlic rice and a sunny-side-up egg.

Tips and Techniques

• Marinate the pork overnight to fully absorb all the flavors.
• Make sure to check the tenderness of pork from time to time. Adjust the water if needed.
• Slightly fry the tapa to give a little bit of texture to the outside of the meat.
• Adjust the amount of sugar and salt based on your taste preference.
• Drizzle some chili garlic oil for an extra spicy kick to this dish.

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© 2020 Travel Chef

Comments

Sp Greaney from Ireland on December 23, 2020:

It always interesting to see what breakfast dishes are popular in other countries. It seems like it is a very versatile meat that can be served for any meal with different types of accompaniments. That is always handy.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on December 21, 2020:

This traditional recipe looks good and sounds easy to prepare. I would love to try it.

Thanks for sharing this well presented recipe article.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on December 21, 2020:

Tapa is one of my favorite marinated meat that I easily serve anytime of the day. I hope you try it!

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on December 21, 2020:

This meat looks delicious. I have not heard of it before, but I would love to try it. Thanks for the recipe.