Envisioning a Filipino dinner table might entail seeing a large bowl of rice, perhaps some pancit, and one more thing. That would be the steaming bowl of meaty, delicious stew. And most of the time, it’s of the tomato-based kind with lots of healthy vegetables. A great example of this is the flavorful, delicious Beef Mechado. This recipe uses a balanced variety of seasonings and spices. From garlic to soy sauce to beef stock, we get a beautiful savory taste simply from the stew.
Of course, you also can’t forget about the appeal of the meat we’re using. For this, we utilize sliced beef chuck, which holds a rich amount of flavor. This really helps lift the taste of our dish. But there is a tricky part about this cut as well, as it usually turns out to be pretty tough. We use the right cooking process to make it as tender as possible.
Now let us head onto the kitchen and get our yummy stew of Beef Mechado done!
How to cook Beef Mechado:
Adding the first few ingredients, and tenderizing the beef chuck:
We will start by taking 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, and placing it in our cooking pot. Then proceed to let this heat up. After that, we will add two essential ingredients in most savory dishes. Go ahead and integrate 1 large onion we’ve sliced, as well as 5 cloves of garlic we’ve chopped. Then sauté these together.
When the onion is soft, that would be your sign to place 2 ½ lbs. of sliced beef chuck inside. Then we will keep cooking the mix for about 3 minutes. But a good indicator to know that it’s done is when the beef has become light brown in color.
Afterwards, you can pour 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 8 ounces of tomato sauce, and 3 cups of beef broth inside. These components are bound to make the most appealingly savory stew for our Beef Mechado. We will let the mixture boil after we’ve added these. Once it is boiling, you can add 2 pieces of bay or laurel leaves.
Put your cover on top of the pot, and let this cook for more time. Use the low heat setting for this, and keep it cooking until the beef has fully tenderized. Just make sure to keep checking the meat to make sure you also don’t overcook it. And feel free to pour more water if the mixture is getting dry.
Integrating some of the final ingredients:
Now that we’ve successfully gotten our beef chuck soft and tender, it’s time to add the last few components. Start zesting your 1 lemon with a zester tool over the cooking pot. This will add an exciting hint of sour flavor to your dish, which will also balance out the saltiness in other seasonings. Stir this into the mixture evenly.
We will also add our 1 large potato we’ve sliced. To get this tender, let the pot cook for 8 minutes. Now whip out your salt and ground black pepper, and season the dish to your preferred amount. Then we’re ready for dining! Just transfer your fragrant, delicious Beef Mechado to a serving plate or bowl of choice. Make sure to have it while it’s fresh and warm, and with some newly cooked rice.
Did you enjoy this recipe? If you’re thinking of making some similar sauce or stew-heavy dishes with meat, I’ve got you covered!
Similar dishes to experiment with in the kitchen:
Caldereta Pork Spareribs
Meaty, nutritious, and undeniably filling, there’s no denying that Caldereta is just a great dish to have at any point of the day. This tomato-based stew might sound familiar though. But it actually holds flavors that sets it apart from Mechado. Its subtle spice comes from thai chili pepper, and of course, that unique savor comes from our peanut butter and liver spread. Another great component about this recipe is its use of chopped spareribs. This succulent cut of meat is incredibly juicy and flavorful.
Lechon Paksiw
Speaking of juicy and flavorful meat ingredients, have you ever tried Lechon Paksiw? If you haven’t, you are surely missing out. This is a Filipino cuisine classic because of its rich, sour flavor that makes it immediately stand out as a dish. That, and of course, it’s a convenient dish to make for when you have some lechon left behind from a gathering. Not only are you able to make the most of your lechon, but you get to have it with the most well-seasoned and delicious stew.
Has this gotten you looking for more Filipino dishes to create? Look no further— Speedy Recipe has a great catalogue of food to choose from. Just scroll through the site! And if you’ve got any questions, the comments section is always open for them.
Beef Mechado
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 ½ lbs. beef chuck sliced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 lemon
- 1 potato sliced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves Laurel
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat cooking oil in a cooking pot. Sauté the garlic and onion.
- Add the beef once the onion softens. Continue cooking while stirring for 3 minutes or until the color of the beef turns light brown
- Add soy sauce, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Let it boil.
- Add laurel leaves. Cover the pot and continue cooking in a low heat setting until the beef tenderizes (note: add water if needed).
- Zest the lemon over the cooking pot using the zester tool. Stir.
- Add potato. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Serve hot with rice. Share and enjoy!
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