Mechado

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Mechado is a stew served as a viand in the Philippines. Traditionally, it is cooked with beef briskets, potatoes, pimiento (red bell peppers), and tomatoes. It is similar to a beef stew, with elements of Filipino ingredients such as patis.

[edit] Origin and preparation

Mechado

The dish originated from a Spanish recipe whose name originally referred to the strips of pork back-fat that are threaded (mecha - wick) through thick pieces of cheaper lean beef to render them more tender and less dry. The larded pieces of beef are then marinated in vinegar, soya sauce, calamansi juice, crushed garlic, black pepper and bay leaf, browned quickly on all sides in hot oil or lard and then slowly braised in its marinade with the addition of soup stock, onion slices, and tomatoes until tender and the liquid is reduced to a thick flavorful gravy.

The use of thinner slices or even bony cuts of beef such as short ribs by budget-conscious cooks makes the larding, that gave the dish its name, unnecessary. The next step that has fallen by the wayside but which is crucial to success, (because it takes away so much from the taste and appearance of the classic dish when skipped), is the quick browning of the beef before actual braising. This step not only seals the pieces of meat so that it retains much of its flavor and juice but also helps produce the dark brown color and rich beefy taste of the gravy. The long, slow braising tenderizes the meat and liquifies the slices of onions and tomatoes to blend with and thicken the sauce. The addition of soya-sauce and calamansi juice to the marinating liquid gives this recipe its distinct Filipino touch and character.

Beef tongue can be similarly treated with little or no variation to produce another dish called Lengua Mechada.

If goat meat is used, it is known as kaldereta.