BEEF Mechado

Here’s a flavorful and classic Beef Mechado recipe — a Filipino tomato-based beef stew known for its rich sauce and deep umami. It’s comfort food at its finest, usually served over steamed rice.

🇵🇭 Beef Mechado (Filipino Beef Stew)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef chuck or brisket, cut into large cubes

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp calamansi juice (or lemon juice)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 1–2 cups beef broth or water

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, for depth)

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

• 1 large carrot, sliced into chunks

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced (optional)

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Optional: green olives or a dash of sugar to balance acidity

Instructions:

1. Marinate the beef:
   In a bowl, combine beef with soy sauce, calamansi (or lemon) juice, and half the garlic. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).

2. Sear the beef:
   Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

3. Sauté aromatics:
   In the same pot, sauté onions until soft. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant.

4. Add tomato base:
   Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste (if using). Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes to deepen the flavor.

5. Simmer the beef:
   Return beef to the pot. Add broth or water, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until beef is fork-tender. (Add more liquid as needed.)

6. Add vegetables:
   Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer for another 20–25 minutes until vegetables are soft.

7. Finish:
   Add red bell pepper (and olives if using) during the last 5–10 minutes. Adjust seasoning — a dash of sugar can help balance acidity.

8. Serve hot over white rice.

💡 Tips:

• Traditional Mechado sometimes includes beef larded with pork fat — you can skip this for a modern version.

• If you’re short on time, you can use a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time to ~35 minutes total.

• For a richer sauce, let it simmer uncovered during the last 10 minutes to reduce and thicken.