Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Filipino beef mechado: cubes of beef in a savoury soy and citrus marinade, grilled until tender and juicy, served with saffron rice.
Beef mechado is a Filipino braise that leans on a tangy tomato and soy sauce, with potatoes soaking up the gravy and a slice of lemon lifting the whole pot. It is rich and savoury with a citrus edge, the kind of dish you ladle generously over rice. Make it a day ahead if you can; it only improves.
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Prep 20 min
Cook 100 min
Total 120 min
Medium
Scale:
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 sliced Onion
- 2 Lbs Beef
- 8 ounces Tomato Puree
- 1 cup Water
- 3 tbs Olive Oil
- 1 Slice Lemon
- 1 large Potatoes
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- To taste Salt
Nutrition (per serving)
525
kcal
30g
Protein
17g
Carbs
37g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Tags:
Stew Warming
Preparation
- For the marinade, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, salt and ground black pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the cubed beef and turn it gently to coat, then leave for 1 hour.
- Thread the vegetables and marinated beef onto metal or bamboo skewers.
- Heat the grill and cook for 3 minutes per side for juicy, tender medium beef, allowing longer if you want it well done.
- Transfer to a serving plate and serve with saffron rice.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Colour the beef well before braising; those browned edges give the sauce more depth.
- Keep the simmer gentle and unhurried until the beef pulls apart easily under a fork.
- Drop the potatoes in partway through so they cook through without falling apart.
- The lemon or calamansi gives mechado its signature tang, so keep the citrus in.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are close relatives. Mechado traditionally uses a larger cut of beef and a touch of citrus, whereas afritada is usually made with chicken or pork.
A braising cut such as chuck or brisket turns meltingly soft over the long simmer.
Yes. Like most braises it tastes even better the following day, once the flavours have had time to settle.
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