Beef Mechado
Beef Mechado
Mechado, Menudo, Afritada or Kaldereta? These are a group of Filipino stews that are similar and oftentimes confusing even for Filipinos. The differences are really nuances and even as I untangle them for myself I am sure many will poke holes at the way I grew up knowing how to tell them apart which is very much based on how my family defined them. It is led by the protein: Mechado is beef, Menudo is pork and liver, Afritada is chicken and Kaldereta is goat. There are common vegetables: carrots, peppers and potatoes at its simplest but it can also be further nuanced. My family adds peas to Mechado, chickpeas to Menudo, Olives to Afritada. We didn’t cook Kaldereta often but a spicier pepper is added to give it some heat compared to the other stews. The sauce is tomato based often with a bit of soy. The nuance of Mechado is that it has lemon (Calamansi back in the Philippines) so it does have that distinction. Nowadays, as you look at the recipes out there, the proteins seem interchangeable and they often morph into the same dish.
I recently came back from a trip to Europe. When I left Portland, it was hot and sunny and when I came back it is now cold and rainy so naturally, I started to crave some of my childhood favorites and this dish came to mind. It’s hearty and warming and it screams comfort no matter what you call it. In my family, this is our version of Mechado.
As we close out Filipino American History Month, we wanted to say THANK YOU to you and to our friends that contributed: Brady Tuazon, Lester Cabigting and Bea Lugtu and to those that engaged, commented and cooked along with us. We hope that we inspired you to try something new with the recipes and stories we shared this month. Stay tuned because the holidays are coming and Noche Buena is just around the corner.
♥️ Tricia
INGREDIENTS
1.5 - 2 lb Beef, Chuck, Round or Brisket, cut in 1.5 in cubes*
MARINADE
½ cup Soy Sauce
1 Lemon
½ tsp Pepper, freshly ground
MECHADO
2 medium Potatoes, cut into cubes
2 medium Carrot, cut into rounds about 1/2 in thick
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 large Red Onion, 1/2 finely diced and 1/2 cut into large chunks
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, cut into squares
1 medium Green Bell Pepper, cut into squares (optional)
1 cup Green Peas (optional)
1 cup Tomato Sauce
2 pcs Bay Leaves
3 tbsp Neutral Oil
Olive Oil
Fish Sauce, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste
NOTE: Serves 3-4 people.
*BEEF - try to find beef that is marbled with fat. This will braise so that keeps the beef tender.
METHOD
STEP 1
MARINATE THE PROTEIN
Add the soy sauce, lemon, and pepper to the cubed beef and thoroughly mix until all beef pieces are evenly coated with the marinade. Cover and let sit for at least an hour and as long as 4 hours.
NOTE: If you will be marinating the beef for more than an hour, let sit in the refrigerator and remove about 30 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature.
STEP 2
START THE MECHADO
Remove the meat from the marinade, reserve marinade and set aside.
Heat up neutral oil on medium high in a dutch oven or a deep stock pot. When oil is hot, add in the beef and brown all sides. This should take a few minutes. When meat has been browned, add diced onions and garlic. Cook until onions have softened a bit then add the marinade, using the liquid to scrape the brown bits from the pan. Add equal parts tomato sauce and water (if you have some stock on hand, that can be used instead of water). Add the bay leaves and season with some fish sauce, and let simmer on your stove top for about 1.5 hours, occasionally check on the stew and stir.
STEP 3
PREP AND ROAST THE VEGETABLES
While the Mechado is cooking, pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
POTATOES: In a small sauce pan, add the potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes. Add a generous helping of salt and let it come to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until potatoes are done but still firm. Drain potatoes, season with salt and pepper and toss in some olive oil. Transfer to an oven safe pan and roast until potatoes are slightly brown at the edges. Remove and set aside.
PEPPERS AND ONIONS: In an oven safe pan, season the peppers and onion chunks with salt and pepper and toss in some olive oil. Roast until vegetables are cooked and are at your desired doneness. Remove and set aside.
NOTE: Roasting time may vary depending on your oven. We like the potatoes a bit crispy and the peppers to still be vibrant so we definitely keep an eye on them and roast in separate pans as their time in the oven can vary.
STEP 4
FINISHING THE MECHADO
After simmering for about 1.5 hours and the meat is fork tender, add the carrots and cook until the carrots have softened. Right before serving, add the roasted vegetables (potatoes, peppers and onions), and finish off by adding the peas and the grated lemon peel. Mix thoroughly until the vegetables are integrated into the dish. Serve hot over rice or with crusty bread. Enjoy!
