Morcon recipe is a savory Filipino beef dish cut into thin sheets and rolled with fillings such as bacon, sausages or hotdogs, hard boiled eggs, sweet pickles or dill and carrots. Morcon usually served during holidays or special events but growing up my Mom made it all the time for her catering business.
I love Morcon but I don’t make it as much. I rely on my family and friends to make it. How to make morcon is not hard but it is just easier if someone else is making it.
On this morcon recipe I used flank and sirloin steak. You can also use beef top or bottom round or eye of round steak and it is delicious as well. Normally, chorizo de bilbao is the ingredient used when making morcon but it can be substituted with hotdog. Instead of using either one I am using smoked kielbasa. Smoked Kielbasa is a hearty sausage that complements this dish.
I was checking my mom’s recipes and she also has a “Junior Morcon” recipe which I have never made before. It is made of ground pork and beef. Maybe one of these days that will be another post.
I find it easier to make beef morcon than making embutido another popular Filipino dish served on gatherings.
How to Cook Beef Morcon
You are probably salivating and anxious to make this morcon recipe. Watch my video “How to cook beef morcon”. Make it today! Magluto na tayo.
For a quicker and tender morcon check out my other post Instant Pot Beef Morcon.
Morcon is a savory Filipino beef dish cut into thin sheets and rolled with fillings such as bacon, sausages or hotdogs, hard boiled eggs, sweet pickles or dill and carrots.
- 2 ½ pounds flank steak
- 5 tablespoons calamansi or lemon juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 slices bacon
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut lengthwise
- 2 chorizo de bilbao or hotdog
- 3 pieces Dill Spears or Sweet Pickles cut lengthwise
- Cheddar cheese sliced lengthwise
- 4 hard boiled eggs peeled and cut in half
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup oil
- Kitchen twine
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- marinade used on beef
- 1 can 8 oz – 227g tomato sauce
- 2 ½ cups beef broth or water
- 2 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small can 4 oz liver spread
- ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
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When making morcon the following beef can be used: flank steak, beef top or bottom round, eye of round or top sirloin. I’m not sure if you can use skirt steak.
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Slice beef to 1/3 or ½ inch thick measuring around 6 ½ x 8 inches forming a rectangle. This size or lower is much easier to handle and tie with a kitchen twine. Make sure the beef rolls fit your skillet.
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Marinate beef in calamansi or lemon juice, ground black pepper and soy sauce for at least 2 hours in the fridge. Make sure beef is submerge in marinate.
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After 2 hours or so remove beef from marinate. Don’t discard the marinate. Set it aside.
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Lay beef flat on any surface and add slices of bacon on top of beef. On top of the bacon add a slice of sausage, chorizo or hotdog, dill or pickle, egg and carrot. Roll the beef into a log securing it with the kitchen twine.
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Lighly dredge beef roll in flour.
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Heat oil in a deep skillet.
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Fry beef rolls for about 5 minutes turning it to evenly cook to a medium brown. Set aside.
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On the same skillet, add more oil if needed.
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Saute onion for 2 minutes.
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Add garlic and cook till golden.
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Pour the beef marinate. Bring to a boil.
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Add the bay leaves.
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Pour the tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
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Add the broth and bring to boil.
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Lower heat to medium low.
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Add the beef roll and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until beef is tender.
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Add garlic powder.
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Remove beef roll and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
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There will be too much sauce left on the skillet.
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It is your call. I usually remove some of the sauce and leave about 3 cups that I thicken with liver spread or cheese or both. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat.
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Slice the morcon round shape or slightly diagonal about ½ inch thick.
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Pour some thicken sauce on the morcon slices or serve sauce on the side.
1. Make sure beef is not sliced thick. You will end up with a very big bulky beef roll that is hard to handle and tie with a twine.
2. Tie the beef roll securely so it doesn’t open up when simmering in sauce.
3. Before seasoning with salt, taste the sauce first it might already be salty. Remember you added the marinate that has soy sauce.
4. If you want a thicker sauce consistency take about 1/3 cup of sauce and dissolve 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir the mixture until smooth. Slowly add it to the sauce and stirring constantly.
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