A bit of Magic Sarap goes a long, tasty way in a beef tapa marinade—it draws out more flavor from the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and sugar.
True to its name, Magic Sarap makes food instantly tastier by drawing out its natural umami. In this sirloin beef tapa recipe, we add a few teaspoons of Magic Sarap to the marinade—no need for additional salt. This punches up the flavors from the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and sugar, resulting in a richer, more “rounded” taste.
Tapa is a Filipino dish of cured or marinated thin slices of meat, usually beef or pork. Its origins trace back to pre-colonial methods of preserving meats like beef, venison, carabao, and goat by salting and drying it under the sun. Nowadays, tapa is typically marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, and spices before frying. When served with garlic rice and egg, you get tapsilog.
Marinate beef: Combine beef sirloin, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, and Maggi Magic Sarap in a mixing bowl. Stir and massage marinade into the beef until fully coated. Cover with cling wrap and marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight.
Cook beef: Heat neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated beef in a single even layer to the pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook until meat caramelizes and forms a crust on one side, about 1 ½ minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 2 tbsp water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until sauce has reduced and darkened.
Serve: Serve beef tapa hot with garlic rice, fried eggs, and vinegar.
