Mechado Filipino Beef Stew is a tangy Filipino beef tomato stew with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Traditionally, the stew was made using cheap and lean cuts of meat that had very little fat/marbling. To help add flavor, an incision was made into each piece of meat and a strip of pork fat was inserted. This technique is what gave the stew its name- Mecha meaning wick for the strip of pork fat sticking out of the beef like a candle. I served the Mechado over a bed of steamed white rice
How to Cook Mechado Filipino Beef Stew
Cooking beef mechado is easier than you might be thinking. The first process is to saute the meat along with garlic and onion. Next is to tenderize it. The last part is to add the seasonings, spices, and other ingredients.
Start to saute by heating oil in a pot. Saute garlic and onion, and then add the beef. It is a good practice to soften the onion before adding the meat. This makes the onion taste sweeter. Add the beef and cook until all sides turn light brown. You’ll need to stir to cook the sides.
Add tomato sauce and water. Let boil. It is time to tenderize the meat. Cover the pot, adjust the heat between low to medium, and cook for 60 minutes or longer until the beef gets tender. You can add more water to prevent the sauce from drying-up during the process.
Add the remaining ingredients. Make sure to adjust the taste based on your preference. This means adding enough salt and pepper. You now have your Beef Mechado to enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
A good tip is to cook rice while waiting for the meat to tenderize. It might sound funny, but some of us are focused too much in cooking the dish to the point that other components of the meal are forgotten. This will ensure that you can enjoy your meal right after the stew is done.
Use a pressure cooker to quickly tenderize the beef. It can save you time by 70%.
Pork can also be used to cook mechado using the same recipe.
Try this Beef Mechado Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Source: KitchenConfidante
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/2 lbs beef for stew
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/4 cup good dark soy sauce I like Silver Swan found in Asian markets
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce patis
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- several dashes of Tabasco
- 2-3 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 2 inch russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2chunks
- 2 in carrots peeled and chopped2 inch pieces
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients
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- Marinate beef in soy sauce, lemon, and black pepper for at least 30 minutes.
- Brown garlic in oil and set aside.
- Brown beef, working in batches if necessary (reserve the marinade).
- Return beef to pot, add onions and season with fish sauce (patis).
- When the onions are wilted, add tomato sauce and water and stir.
- After about two minutes, add Tabasco, beef stock, 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade, bay leaves and bell pepper.
- Let come to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add reserved garlic. Cover the pot with the lid, and let it stew for about 1 1/2 hours (see notes), stirring occasionally.
- When the meat is tender, add potatoes and carrots. Continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes more.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.
- Note on simmering the stew: In general, it takes about 45 minutes for the meat to just start getting tender. Check the beef at this time and continue cooking as necessary. I usually try to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, longer if I want it really tender – the longer it cooks, the better it tastes.
- Using a pressure cooker (e.g. Instant Pot): Mechado is delicious when made in a pressure cooker. At the point where it is time to simmer the stew, cook in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes at high pressure. Then add the potatoes and carrots and cook again for about 10-15 minutes on high pressure. Allow the mechado to simmer in your pressure cooker, uncovered, afterward to reduce the liquid a bit more.
