Beef Mechado Recipe is a Filipino beef stew in a tomato based sauce that originated from Spain. The Philippines was under Spanish rule for over 400 years and Filipinos had embraced the Spanish culture and mostly their food. You will notice many similarities with Spanish and Filipino cuisine. Filipino food is a fusion of Spanish and Asian cuisine.
Beef Mechado is similar to the Italian Osso Buco. Both dish uses beef shank. Beef shank is a tough meat that takes a while to cook. What I like about beef shank – it is very lean, flavorful and cheap.
If you like afritada which is another type of beef stew you will definitely enjoy Beef Mechado.
Beef Mechado Ingredients
The ingredients for Beef Mechado recipe are mostly basic ingredients that might be in your pantry already.
- beef shank
- peppercorn
- olive oil
- potato
- carrot
- onion
- garlic
- lemon juice
- soy sauce
- fish sauce
- tomato sauce
- beef shank broth
- bay leaves
- green and red bell pepper
- cornstarch
- salt
- ground black pepper
How to Make Beef Mechado
Watch my you tube video how to cook beef mechado. It is a simple recipe that you can cook today. Magluto na tayo!
Beef Mechado is beef shank cooked in tomato based sauce with potato, carrot and red & green pepper.
- 1 pound beef shank
- 10 peppercorns
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium potatoes peeled and cut
- 1 medium carrots peeled and cut
- 1 medium onion peeled and ½ chopped into 2 pieces & other half chopped in small pieces
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 ½ cups beef shank broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small green bell pepper seeded and cut into cubes
- 1 small red bell pepper seeded and cut into cubes
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
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Add 4 cups of water with the beef shank in a pot. Bring to a boil
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Once it boils, remove the white stuff (scum) that may rise on top of the mixture.
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Add peppercorn & onion chopped in 2 pieces. Adjust heat to low-medium.
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Cook for 25 minutes till beef shank is half cooked. Turn off heat and put aside including broth.
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In another pot heat oil over medium heat.
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Saute potatoes and carrots and cook until golden. Remove from pot and set aside.
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Saute onions for 3 minutes and add garlic and cook until soft.
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Add tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to simmer.
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Add soy sauce, lemon juice and fish sauce. Simmer for a minute.
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Add the beef shank and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
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Add beef shank broth & cover. Adjust heat to low-medium.
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Once meat is tender, check that you still have enough sauce. If not add more broth and simmer for 2 minutes.
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Add carrots, potatoes and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes.
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In a bowl add 4 tablespoon of broth and add cornstarch. Mix well.
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Pour the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce and stirring constantly.
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Add red and green pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes. Keep peppers crisp.
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Season with salt. Serve hot.
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Serves 3 people.
- If you have time, boil the beef at night and refrigerate the pot overnight so fat can harden. When ready to continue cooking remove the harden fat with a kitchen utensil.
- When potato is peeled and cut, submerge it in water so it doesn't turn light brown before cooking.
- If you have left over broth, don't discard it. Freeze and use it for any recipe that calls for beef broth.
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