Mechado facts for kids
Mechado
|
|
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Beef, soy sauce, calamansi, black pepper, onions |
| Variations | Beef tongue |
Mechado is a yummy beef dish from the Philippines. It's made by slowly cooking beef in a liquid, a method called braising. This cooking style was inspired by Spanish traditions, as Spain used to rule the Philippines. Two very important ingredients in the cooking liquid are soy sauce and calamansi fruits.
What's in a Name? The Story of "Mechado"
The name mechado comes from the Spanish word mecha. This word means "wick", like the string in a candle. The dish got its name because of how it used to be made. Strips of fat were put through the beef, making it look a bit like a candle with a wick! In the Filipino language, mecha became mitsa.
How Mechado is Made
The traditional way to make mechado involves a special Spanish cooking trick. Cooks would thread thin strips of pork fat, like "wicks," through thick pieces of beef. This was usually done with a cut of beef called chuck steak. Adding the fat made the beef super juicy and added lots of flavor.
First, the beef with the fat is soaked in a mix of soy sauce, calamansi juice, and black pepper. This soaking is called marinating. After marinating, the beef is quickly browned in hot oil on all sides. This helps seal in the flavors.
Then, the beef is slowly cooked, or braised. It cooks in the same marinade, with extra ingredients like beef broth, onions, and bay leaves. It cooks until the beef is very tender. As it cooks, the liquid gets thicker, turning into a rich gravy. Sometimes, Fish sauce is added to give it more flavor. You can even cook this dish in a clay pot with tomato sauce.
Over time, the way mechado is made has changed a bit. Many recipes now use thinner slices of beef or even bony cuts. They often skip the step of threading fat through the meat. These newer versions of mechado are more like a beef stew. A popular modern mechado often includes lots of tomatoes in the cooking liquid and pieces of potatoes.
You can also make a similar dish using Beef tongue instead of regular beef. This dish is called lengua mechada.
