WATCH: How to Level Up the Pinoy Breakfast

Filipino tapa done four ways

Pinoy tapa is a go-to breakfast choice for a lot of people. What’s not to love? Tapa is simple but versatile. If you want to try something new for breakfast, spice up your morning by trying out these easy lutong bahay recipes.

First off, you need to cook your tapa. Here’s a basic recipe for classic Pinoy beef tapa:

Pinoy Tapa

• 1½ lb beef sirloin thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Canola cooking oil

Recipe (Marinade):

1. In a container, combine the soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar and mix well. Set aside.
2. Place the beef in the clear plastic bag.
3. Pour the marinade into the clear plastic bag with your meat and mix well.
4. Place inside the refrigerator and marinate for a minimum of 8 to 12 hours.The longer it marinates, the more flavor will be absorbed by the meat.

Recipe (Cooking):

1. In a pan, add three (3) tablespoons of cooking oil.
2. Cook the marinated beef tapa until all the pieces completely browned.

Now that your tapa is cooked, check out how you can level up your breakfast!

1. Buttered Garlic Tapa

Basically, this is salpicao-style tapa. The garlic-butter combo gives your tapa a rich, savory dimension. Fast. Simple. Delicious. This is one tapa that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

What you need:

• 1 head of garlic
• ½ cup butter

 What to do:

1. Put three (3) tablespoons of cooking oil and two tablespoons of butter in the pan.
2. Sautee one (1) head of minced garlic until golden brown.
3. Add beef tapa back into the pan, then mix until garlic is evenly spread with the meat.

2. Tapa Bistek

We all have that one friend who loves to drown their ulam in vinegar. Who can blame them? Sourness is adds a kick to any Filipino dish. This recipe transforms your tapa into takes classic Filipino bistek, blending the acidic bite of vinegar with the sweetness of the onions.

What you need:

• ½ cup calamansi
• 2 white onions

 What to do:

1. Add ½ cup calamansi to your marinade. This is your souring agent to give it that vinegary touch.
2. Fry onions until caramelized and then set aside.
3. Cook beef tapa while mixing the onions in.

3. Asian Tapa

This colorful dish is a feast for the eyes and your tastebuds. Bell peppers and green onions add a bit of sweetness that balance out the saltier flavors of the base tapa.

  What you need:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 can of whole mushrooms
• 1 stalk of spring onion or scallions
• sesame seeds (Optional)

What to do:

1. Add three (3) tablespoons of cooking oil then saute chopped bell peppers and mushrooms until cooked.
2. Place into the pan and mix well.
3. Add green onions and continue to mix for two (2) to three (3) minutes.

4. Korean Style Tapa:

Sweet and savory go so well together in this bulgogi-inspired take on tapa. The honey makes the marinade of the tapa thicker. With the sesame flavors, you get a yummy K-style sauce.

 What you need:

• 1 tablespoon honey (add more as desired)
• sesame oil
• sesame seeds

What to do:

1. Heat sesame seed oil in pan.
2. Add the tapa and slather the meat in honey.
3. Once tapa is cooked, garnish sesame seeds on top