Tapang kalabaw is a Kapampangan delicacy and it is also called “pindang damulag” in their dialect. If you’ve been to Pampangga, you can see many vendor selling this preserved meat. And if you it’s your first time to taste this, you will think it is spoiled already because it is tremendously sour. If you don’t like the very sour taste of those sold in the market, you can make this tapang kalabaw yourself and shorten the curing time, probably, you can cure it for less then a day then cook it or freeze it then cook it anytime you want.
To make tapang kalabaw; Place salt, sugar, anisado wine and prague powder in a bowl and mix well. Put mixture in a salt shaker. Sprinkle mixture liberally over each piece of meat, making sure to cover both sides. Place meat slices either in an enameled, stainless steel or glass casserole. Cover with plastic cling wrap and store in a cool dark place. Depending on how sour you want the tapa, allow curing for 2 to 3 days or longer. To cook the cured meat, boil in enough water to cover all the pieces until fork tender. Drain and throw away the liquid. Using 2 forks shred the meat to pieces to look like shredded corned beef. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the carabeef until crisp. Serve with fried rice and fried egg.
How to Cook Tapang Kalabaw (Carabao Meat Jerky)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cups anisado wine
- 1 tsp Prague powder
- 1 kilo carabao meat the kasim part, sliced into 1/4 inch thick
- water for boiling the meat
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
How to make tapang kalabaw or carabeef jerky:
- Place salt, sugar, anisado wine and prague powder in a bowl and mix well. Put mixture in a salt shaker.
- Sprinkle mixture liberally over each piece of meat, making sure to cover both sides.
- Place meat slices either in an enameled, stainless steel or glass casserole.
- Cover with plastic cling wrap and store in a cool dark place.
- Depending on how sour you want the tapa, allow curing for 2 to 3 days or longer.
- To cook the cured meat, boil in enough water to cover all the pieces until fork tender.
- Drain and throw away the liquid.
- Using 2 forks shred the meat to pieces to look like shredded corned beef.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the carabeef until crisp.
- Serve with fried rice and fried egg. If there is carabao milk available, you can also serve it along your tapsilog (tapa, sinangag and itlog).

Tapang Kalabaw is not Pampanga delicacy only is the whole Central Luzon. In Bulacan we called it Pindang. Sir request sana ako ng recipe ng Serkele. Salamat
Hi Dan,
I hope someone can share the Serkele recipe. I think the recipe is a trade secret. I made a little research and found out it is from Bulacan.