Mechado

“This recipe was selected to be part of the Noche Buena Recipes as part of the Christmas celebration of the educational publisher Twinkl, with the aim of helping Filipinos feel the Christmas spirit wherever they are around the world.”

Mechado is an easy to make Filipino delicious beef stew dish of Spanish origin. Soy sauce, beef stock, and tomato paste give it a rich and flavorful sauce.

Ingredients:

1 kg beef

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 cup yellow onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup Silver Swan soy sauce (not Datu Puti, to avoid excessive saltiness)

150 g Del Monte tomato paste

1 small can Reno liver spread

1 liter water

ground black pepper

2 tbsp sugar

salt pepper to taste
3 medium potatoes, quartered (optional: fried)

Procedure:

Heat oil in a hot pan.

Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Add the beef, soy sauce, and ground black pepper.

Sauté the beef thoroughly over high heat until the liquid evaporates.

Once the liquid has evaporated, add 1 liter of water.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.

Let the beef simmer over low heat until tender, which takes about 3-4 hours.

Once the beef is tender, increase the heat and add the liver spread, tomato paste, and sugar.

Reduce to medium heat and stir occasionally.

If the sauce is still too watery, increase the heat to evaporate the excess liquid and thicken the sauce.

Add fried potatoes just before the sauce thickens.

Serve and enjoy!

Note: If you want faster cooking time pressure cook the beef with the beef stock.