Tapsilog
The name tapsilog is a contraction of three words: tapa (marinated beef), sinangag (garlic rice) and itlog (egg). It is one of the most popular Filipino breakfasts, served in all-night diners. The beef marinates overnight in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic, then fries briefly — sweet, salty and slightly sour. The rice is fried with garlic, ideally rice from the day before, since fresh rice clumps. The egg has a runny yolk that spills over the rice.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Marinating the beef 480 min
- Garlic rice 15 min
- Frying the beef 15 min
- Eggs 5 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneMarinate the beef
Cut the beef into thin slices (about 5 mm) across the grain. Mix with the soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, sugar and pepper.
Ingredients: 500 g sirloin or topside, thinly sliced · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp vinegar (cane or cider) · 4 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp sugar · ½ tsp black pepper · 2 tbsp oil for frying
Thin slices across the grain stay tender.Leave overnight
Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Less than 4 hours is not worth it — the flavour will not get in.
Ingredients: 500 g sirloin or topside, thinly sliced · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp vinegar (cane or cider) · 4 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp sugar · ½ tsp black pepper · 2 tbsp oil for frying
Cook the rice
Cook the rice the day before: add it to 600 ml of salted water, bring to the boil, cover and cook over low heat for 12 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat for 10 minutes. Spread on a tray, cool and refrigerate.
Ingredients: 300 g long-grain rice · 6 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp oil · ½ tsp salt
Fry the garlic
Chop the garlic and fry it in 2 tablespoons of oil over low heat for 3 minutes until golden. Do not let it brown or it turns bitter. Set half aside on paper.
Ingredients: 300 g long-grain rice · 6 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp oil · ½ tsp salt
Golden garlic — browned garlic is bitter.Fry the rice
Add the cold rice to the garlic pan, break up the lumps with a spoon and fry over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Season with salt and keep warm.
Ingredients: 300 g long-grain rice · 6 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp oil · ½ tsp salt
Fry the beef
Heat the oil in a pan (about 28 cm) and fry the slices in batches, 2 minutes per side — 500 g takes three batches, about 12 minutes in all. Lay the slices out so they do not touch, and do not pour in all the marinade at once or the meat will steam instead of caramelising.
Ingredients: 500 g sirloin or topside, thinly sliced · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp vinegar (cane or cider) · 4 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp sugar · ½ tsp black pepper · 2 tbsp oil for frying
Fry the eggs
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a clean pan and fry the eggs so the white is set with crisp edges and the yolk stays runny.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 3 tbsp vinegar for dipping · 1 pcs tomato · 1 tbsp oil for the eggs
Crisp edges, runny yolk.Serve
Put rice on each plate with the beef slices and an egg alongside. Scatter the reserved garlic over the rice, add tomato wedges and a small dish of vinegar for dipping the meat.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 3 tbsp vinegar for dipping · 1 pcs tomato · 1 tbsp oil for the eggs
Before you start
Runny yolk
A runny yolk is not safe for children, pregnant women, the elderly or anyone immunocompromised — fry their eggs on both sides until the yolk sets.
Other versions
The same structure works with other meats: longsilog uses longganisa sausages, tocilog sweet tocino pork, and bangsilog fried bangus fish.
Storage
Keep the raw marinated beef in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze it in its marinade for 2 months. Cooked meat and rice keep 2 days in the fridge.
