How to Make Pork Tapa Recipe
Pork tapa is a Filipino dish of thinly sliced pork marinated in a savory-sweet blend of soy sauce, calamansi, garlic, and spices, then pan-fried to tender perfection, often enjoyed with garlic rice and a fried egg for breakfast.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
- 1 kilo pork loin with fat
- 1 head garlic minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup calamansi juice or lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar optional
- 1 1/2 cup Sprite or 7-up
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
How to make and cook Pork Tapa:
- If the pork is bought from the wet market, wash it in running water and drain for a few minutes.
- Slice the pork thinly, just like when you are slicing the meat when you are making beef tapa. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or any plastic container (just enough to put all the meat and the rest of the ingredients), put the pork, garlic, soy sauce, calamansi juice, sugar, sprite or 7-up, salt and pepper.
- Mix all the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and the meat is coated with the marinade mixture.
- Marinate the meat in the fridge overnight. For best result, you can use a zip lock bag, put the meat and marinade and seal the bag instead of just using a bowl. This way the meat will be marinated evenly.
- To cook the pork tapa, heat about 1/4 cup of cooking oil and fry the meat on low heat for 8 minutes or until the pork is tender and light brown.
- Serve with fried rice, atchara and fried egg for a hearty breakfast or lunch.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips for Perfect Tapa:
- Slice the pork thinly: To ensure even cooking and maximum flavor absorption, slice the pork into thin, uniform pieces. This allows the marinade to penetrate the meat thoroughly, resulting in tender and flavorful tapa.
- Marinate overnight: For the best results, marinate the pork overnight in the refrigerator. This extended marination time allows the flavors to meld together and tenderize the meat, resulting in a more delicious and succulent tapa.
- Adjust sweetness to taste: The sweetness of the tapa can be customized according to your preference. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, you can increase the amount of sugar in the marinade. Conversely, if you prefer a less sweet taste, reduce the sugar or omit it altogether.
- Don't overcook: This tapa should be cooked until it reaches a golden brown color, but be careful not to overcook it. Overcooking can result in tough and dry meat. Keep a close eye on the cooking process and remove the tapa from the heat once it is cooked through and nicely caramelized.
- Experiment with cooking methods: While pan-frying is the traditional method for cooking tapa, don't be afraid to experiment with other cooking techniques. Grilling or baking the tapa can add unique flavors and textures to the dish. Try different methods to find your favorite cooking style.