Beef Tapa Sandwich

Beef tapa sandwich is a spin on a traditional Filipino breakfast called tapsilog. Thinly sliced beef is seasoned and fried, and served with egg and lettuce between bread slices.

This is an updated recipe. The original was published in July of 2006 when a group of Filipino food bloggers were still actively participating in a monthly challenge called Lasang Pinoy (literally, Filipino taste). The group is no longer active — it hasn’t been in years.

There are recipes I published for the monthly challenge, however, that are worth revisiting. My beef tapa sandwich, for instance, which I concocted for a Filipino fusion theme. This is my passion — turning traditional, often boring, recipes into dishes that are more today.

I could have left the 2006 post sitting in the archive, mostly unnoticed because the photo was bad and the recipe unformatted but, in a month or so, the dry hot spell will commence and it will be the season for road trips and picnics. Sandwiches are so convenient to pack and carry. No spoons, forks and knives required to eat them. And this beef tapa sandwich is just perfect for such occasions.

The following recipe is not a lot different from the one published in 2006. The beef is seasoned just as simply with nothing but salt and pepper. The only deviation is the addition of fried garlic as garnish. It might sound like a little thing but, trust me, the additional flavor justifies the extra step.

Beef Tapa Sandwich

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Course: Sandwiches

Cuisine: Modern Filipino

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 3 sandwiches

Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

• 500 grams thinly sliced beef (sirloin, top round or bottom round are ideal)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 small bunch Romaine lettuce
• 3 eggs
• cooking oil
• 6 slices bread (preferably toasted)
• fried garlic

Instructions

• Cut the beef into thin strips. Place in a bowl, add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix and set aside.
• Cut the lettuce into strips, rinse and pass through a salad spinner to remove excess water. Set aside.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs with two pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper.
• Heat a frying pan and coat the bottom with cooking oil.
• When the oil in hot, pour in the beaten eggs and cook just until the edges are set. Fold the omelet into thirds, flip and cook for another 30 seconds. 
• Slide the omelet onto a plate and set aside.
• Reheat the frying pan and drizzle in two tablespoons of oil.
• When the oil starts to smoke, spread the seasoned beef strips to cover the entire bottom. Cook over high heat without disturbing for about two minutes to allow a light crust to form.
• Flip the beef, cook for a minute again without disturbing then stir. Continue cooking until the edges of the beef strips are lightly crisp.
• Lay three slices of bread side by side and top each with lettuce.
• Divide the omelet into three equal portions and lay on top of the bed of lettuce.
• Pile the beef tapa on top of the egg and sprinkle with fried garlic.
• Serve the beef tapa sandwiches immediately or wrap to carry to your picnic.

Cook’s Notes

This is an updated version of the July 10, 2006 beef tapa sandwich recipe.

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