Beef Mechado

Deliciously tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in tomato sauce flavored with Asian seasonings. Your taste buds are treated to a savory, tangy and sweet explosion of flavors in this yummy Beef Mechado!

Mechado…..mmmmm. Mechado masarap (too delicious!) is probably what you would hear a Filipino jokingly say when he tastes a really good Mechado dish.

The expression is a play on the word “masyado” which means too much or over the top while “masarap” means, as you may have guessed, “delicious.”

The name Mechado originated from the Spanish word “mecha” which means wick. Traditionally, a lean cut of beef is larded by inserting bits of pork fat in it to add moisture, flavor, and succulence to an otherwise dry piece of meat (like an artificial marbling).

The pork fat sticking out looks like a wick (the “mecha”) coming out of the beef  (the “candle”) hence the name – Mechado.

The larded meat is then simmered slowly in seasoned tomato sauce and served with the sauce it was cooked in. You can google “larding meat/beef” if you wish to know more about this old culinary technique.

I read they did this in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization and perhaps thereafter because a well marbled beef was quite expensive in those days so they had to devise a way to use cheaper cuts of beef and turn it into something tender and yummy.

Thankfully, we no longer have to apply that kind of technique as some fattier kind of beef is now accessible and cheap(er).

Things seem to be in reverse now, in fact, as leaner beef seems to be more expensive.

Anyway, whenever I make a stew I always get the cut with a little fat (like the chuck roast) because they are perfect with long slow cooking and the meat doesn’t dry out because the little fat in there provides the moisture and yes, loads of flavor, too.

The Mechado was well-loved and well-received by my family especially my husband and my kids didn’t complain and ate a lot, too. I was hoping we would have left-overs for the next day – but it must have been so good that it was all gone in one sitting. Please enjoy and hope you love this as much as we do!

FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.

By: Manila Spoon
June 12, 2015

Deliciously tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in tomato sauce flavored with Asian seasonings. Your taste buds are treated to a savory, tangy and sweet explosion of flavors!

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS FOR Beef Mechado

• Stewing Beef – make sure it has some fat or marbling for extra flavor (like Chuck roast). Don’t use lean meat, if possible. Slice into 2-inch chunks
• Plum or Roma tomatoes – chopped
• Laurel/Bay leaves – dried or fresh
• Garlic cloves – peeled and crushed
• Vinegar – you may substitute with Calamansi or Lemon juice
• Fish Sauce or Soy Sauce – get good quality undiluted fish sauce like ones made from Thailand or Vietnam
• Water
• Baby potatoes – may be halved depending on size. Regular red or yellow potatoes may be used
• Carrots – peeled and chopped (roughly the size of baby potatoes)
• Onion or shallot (large) – chopped
• Bell Pepper – chopped (same length as potatoes or carrots)
• Tomato Sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• Brown sugar – to enhance flavor and cut the tartness of vinegar and tomato sauce

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE Beef Mechado

1. In a deep pan place the beef chunks, tomatoes, vinegar, fish sauce or soy sauce, garlic and laurel leaves. Pour the water in. Bring to a boil.
2. Cover and then simmer on low and cook until the beef chunks are tender about 1-1 1/2 hours.
3. When the beef is tender add the potatoes, carrots and onions. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked.
4. Add the chopped bell peppers and the tomato sauce. Stir, cover and cook until all the vegetables are tender. You can cook it uncovered during the last few minutes if you wish for a thicker sauce. Adjust the seasoning by adding brown sugar (to balance out the flavors) and, if needed, extra salt, soy or fish sauce and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
5. Serve with Jasmine rice and with a drizzle of that delicious sauce on top! Masarap!

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour and 45 Minutes

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Beef Mechado

Manila Spoon

Deliciously tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in tomato sauce flavored with Asian seasonings. Your taste buds are treated to a savory, tangy and sweet explosion of flavors!

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian Cuisine, Filipino

Servings 6

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 2.2 lbs (1 kilo) stewing Beef with some fat on it (like Chuck roast), cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 Plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 pieces dried Laurel/Bay leaves
• 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/4 cup Vinegar (or Calamansi/Lemon juice)
• 2 tbsp Fish Sauce or Soy Sauce, adjust to taste
• 2 cups Water
• 10 Baby potatoes, may be halved depending on size
• 3 Medium carrots, peeled and chopped (roughly the size of baby potatoes)
• 1 large Onion or Shallot, chopped
• 1 large red Bell Pepper, chopped (same length as potatoes or carrots)
• 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce, or to taste
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar, or to taste

Instructions

 

• In a deep pan place the beef chunks, tomatoes, vinegar, fish sauce or soy sauce, garlic and laurel leaves. Pour the water in. Bring to a boil.
• Cover and then simmer on low and cook until the beef chunks are tender about 1-1 1/2 hours.
• When the beef is tender add the potatoes, carrots and onions. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked.
• Add the chopped bell peppers and the tomato sauce. Stir, cover and cook until all the vegetables are tender. You can cook it uncovered during the last few minutes if you wish for a thicker sauce. Adjust the seasoning by adding brown sugar (to balance out the flavors) and, if needed, extra salt, soy or fish sauce and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
• Serve with Jasmine rice and with a drizzle of that delicious sauce on top! Masarap (so yummy)!

Keyword beef mechado, easy filipino mechado recipe, how to cook mechado, sangkap ng mechado, spanish mechado

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Last updated on April 11th, 2024 at 07:27 pm