My BEEF MECHADO

April 14,2014

Beef Mechado or Mechadong baka is another family favorite. Yes, my family loves good food and we have many favorite dishes.

 The Spanish-sounding dish Mechado, because of the word,"mecha" meaning wick, is a beef stew in tomato sauce, with pork's fat inserted in the middle of the beef, like that of a candle. This dish, however, was developed by Filipinos during the Spanish regime.

Over time, different versions of this dish has come up. For me, what matters most in this dish is how tender it is when you put it in your mouth, chew and ummmm... taste the flavors infused.

My BEEF MECHADO

:

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo beef 
• 1/2 kilo beef fats
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 6 pieces calamansi
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 3 pieces bayleaves
• MSG (optional)
• potatoes (quantity depends on your preference)
• 1 bell pepper, quartered
• 1 cup sweet green peas
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsps salt

How to cook:

• Marinate beef cubes in soy sauce, calamansi, peppercorns, garlic for about an hour.

• Deep fry potatoes, set aside.
• Heat oil in pan. Saute garlic, then onions.
• Pour tomato sauce and saute.

• Strain marinated beef cubes, then add to the sauteed tomato sauce.
• Once oil comes out from the beef, add the marinade.

• Cover and allow beef to tenderize.
• Keep checking if beef has softened, Add water if sauce has partly evaporated and meat is not yet tender. Season with ground pepper and MSG
• Once meat has softened, add in the sweet green peas.
• Add the bell peppers. Mix and stir the ingredients.
• Turn off heat. Put the fried potatoes and mix well with sauce.
• Arrange in a serving platter making it appealing to the senses.
• Serve with rice and ice cold drinks.

The fusion of flavors. So delicious and tender to the bite. 

Thanks for dropping by! Please cook and share! You'll love it! -<3 jewel