Mechado is a Filipino beef stew with a very European vibe; it is cooked in a tomato sauce seasoned with vinegar, lemon zest and soy sauce.
Whilst this dish takes a little over an hour and a half to cook and prepare, it is a very easy dish to cook.
Filipino Beef Stew
The last year or so has been a year of me being a little obsessed with Filipino stew recipes. They are awesome, they are so familiar to the European palate, with a few little tweaks that give them a fresh feel.
Dishes like pork menudo, beef kaldereta and chicken afritada have all appeared on my pages in the last year.
My latest offering is my take on beef mechado; at its heart, it is a simple stew of stewing steak, potatoes and carrots in a tomato sauce.
It is seasoned with soy sauce and gets a sharp edge. My version uses a combination of lemon zest and white vinegar, in place of the more traditional calamansi juice.
Ordinarily, the beef would have been studded with pig fat (larded) to keep it moist. I prefer to skip this step, and add the porkiness by cooking the dish in lard, and make sure I use a fatty cut of beef.
The cooking is all very simple, and the techniques should be familiar to anyone who has cooked a beef stew from practically anywhere in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cut of beef?
Yes, any form of stewing beef would work well in this mechado recipe; flank or skirt steak is particularly good, thanks to its open texture.
Shin of beef is another excellent option, but it will need cooking for an extra 30-45 minutes. This will lead to your potatoes falling apart. You can either add them later or use a waxy potato that will hold its texture.
What is a OXO cube?
If you are visiting from outside of the UK, then an OXO cube is a stock cube. I mention them by name as a single cube makes just 190ml (around two-thirds of a cup) of stock.
In this recipe, that means that you can season appropriately with soy sauce rather than the salt in a stock cube. You should use just half or a third of a stock cube if it makes a more typical pint or half litre.
Can I use tinned tomatoes instead of passata?
Yes, it will do no "harm" to the dish, but I think that this dish is more pleasing to eat with a smoother sauce. You could blend your tinned tomatoes if you want to get closer to this.
Can I use oil instead of lard?
If you wish, as I have mentioned above, I use lard to offer flavour hints towards the traditional practice of "larding" the beef. But this dish is perfectly tasty when cooked with a neutral cooking oil.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, like most stews, this dish stores fantastically. It will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days if stored correctly.
Serving Suggestions
This beef mechado recipe is plenty hearty and balanced enough to make it a simple one-pot, one-bowl dinner. And that is the way that I usually eat it!
However, that thick sauce begs for a bit of bread to mop it up.
I usually grab a bit of a crusty French baguette, which is very similar to a Filipino bread called pandesal.
Rice is another common option; I would opt for some simply steamed jasmine rice.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan with a lid.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Vegetable peeler.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Filipino Beef Mechado Recipe
Ingredients
- 350 g Braising Steak 12oz (You want a fairly fatty cut of meat)
- 1 Lemon (Zest Only)
- 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 Medium-Large Carrot 175g
- 1 Large Potato 350g
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 250 ml Tomato Passata 1 Cup
- 3 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 375 ml Water 1½ Cups
- 1 Beef Oxo Cube (Use a reduced salt cube)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 25 g Lard 2 Tbsp
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 1½-2cm chunks and place it in a bowl.
- Zest the lemon and add it to the beef.
- Add the white vinegar and salt to the beef, and set it aside whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 1cm (just under ½") dice.
- Cut the carrot into 1½cm (just over ½") rounds, cutting any larger rounds in half so that they are bite-sized if needed.
- Peel the potato and cut it into 25mm (1") cubes.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves.
- Heat a 20cm or 8" heavy-based saucepan over a high heat, add the lard and when it has melted, add the beef and brown all over. It's best to do this in two batches, then remove the beef form the pan.
- Add the onion, potato and carrot to the pan, then cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrape any residue from the base of the pan whilst you are stirring.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Return the beef to the pan.
- Pour in the passata, water, soy sauce, black pepper, bay leaf and crumble in the OXO cube, then stir to combine. There should be just enough liquid to cover all of the ingredients. Again scraping the base of the pan as you go.
- Pop on the lid and reduce the heat to low, then cook for 45 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer for 15 minutes uncovered.