tapa a nuang, carabeef jerky

Tapa a nuang of Tuguegarao City.

Tapa a nuang. Carabao meat (okey, carabeef) jerky (also called tapang damulag by the Capampangans and Tagalogs). It's one of the so-called specialties here in Cagayan notably in these southern parts of the province (Alcala, Amulung, Iguig, Tuguegarao, Peñablanca, Enrile, Solana, Tuao, etc.) where herds of carabao are primarily grown not for being a farmer's beast of burden but for milk and meat. So much so that there's the famous Alcala Carabao Milk Candy. And yes, the now equally famous Tuguegarao "chicha-rabao," a chicharon (deep fried skin/rind) made from carabao skin. And the fact that carabaos are normally slaughtered here daily for their prized meat for sinanglaw/pinapaitan, lauya and of course, as a unique ground meat toppings for pancit batil patung.

Tapa a nuang is readily available in select meat stores in Tuguegarao City, like this one where I got mine. 

The frozen carabeef tapa is just so perfectly marinated, cured that when I thawed it, it retained its redness, succulence and texture expected of a (cara)beef jerky. It wafts a distinct, peculiar carabeefy smell you cannot expect with beef, a kind of blunt and wicked odor (well, angdod, that's it) that's prized by carabao meat lovers. And this lovely "odor" is further enhanced and made sweetly aromatic by its garlicky and peppery and vinegary scent.

I put in some thinly sliced meat jerky pieces in pan, put in some olive oil...

... And I let it cook in high heat. Now, the smell becomes overpoweringly delicious and overwhelmingly captivating that makes me even hungrier...

After about 3-5 minutes of turning the meat pieces on to cook evenly, it is done. With this thin, do not overcook your tapa so it remains tender and succulent.

And this it, perfectly done! Tapa a nuang at its very best--cooked just right, so tender, so mildly sweet and sour, so pleasantly and delightfully fragrant you can't resist to take a bite of it at once!

And here, it goes so well with newly steamed rice... What a chewy experience!

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