Beef Mechado

Beef chuck slowly braised in tomato sauce with potatoes and bay leaves until deeply tender — a Filipino fiesta staple.

Estimated cost: ₱158–₱180

Prep 15 min · Total 75 min · Serves 1

Nutrition per serving: 612 kcal · 50 g protein · 24 g carbs · 36 g fat

Ingredients

• 180g Beef chuck (cut into 2-inch cubes)
• 100g Tomato sauce
• 1 medium (100g) Potato
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 medium Onion
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 pcs Bay leaves
• to taste Salt and pepper
• 1 cup Water

Steps

1. Marinate beef cubes in soy sauce for 15 minutes. Dice potato into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef cubes on all sides in batches, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
3. In the same pot, sauté garlic until golden, about 30 seconds, then add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
4. Return beef to the pot. Add tomato sauce, water, and bay leaves. Stir and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40–45 minutes until beef is very tender when pierced with a fork.
6. Add potato cubes and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes until potato is cooked through and sauce thickens.
7. Remove bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

Prices are estimates based on Department of Agriculture price monitoring. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central, FNRI).