Impulsive Culinarian’s Filipino Beef Mechado Recipe
Stew Ingredients
- 2 Yellow Bell Peppers
- 1 head Garlic Cloves
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 pounds Chuck Beef, trimmed & cut into rustic chunks
- 2 tbsp Dairy Free Margarine
- 1 large Spanish Onion, peeled, quartered, thinly sliced
- 1 large Carrot, peeled, long matchstick cut
- 1 cup full-bodied Red Wine
- 2 Bay Leaves
Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- 4 large Tomatoes, peeled & seeded
- 1 overripe Banana
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Sriracha Sauce
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 ounce Rum
- 1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Set broiler to maximum
- Core & trim yellow peppers into flat slices
- Place sliced peppers skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet
- Broil peppers in the top-most oven rack for around 8 minutes until skin blisters and is nicely blackened
- Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer roasted peppers to an air-tight container and set aside
- Turn off broiler and set the oven to 400°
- Carefully cut the top off your head of garlic
- Place the head of garlic in an oven-safe ramekin or small baking dish with sides
- Drizzle olive oil over each exposed clove
- Cover with foil and bake in the center rack for 1 hour
- In a medium sauce pan, warm the vegetable broth on a back burner, then cover & simmer over low heat until needed
- Peel & seed the tomatoes
- Transfer the tomatoes and banana to a food processor, then blitz until smooth
- In another medium sauce pan, warm the coconut oil over medium-low heat
- Add finely chopped shallot & ginger to the coconut oil and saute, stirring frequently until softened, around 5 minutes
- Add finely chopped garlic clove to the sauce pan and saute for another 2 minutes
- Increase to medium, then add the pureed tomatoes & banana to the shallots, ginger & garlic
- Add sriracha, sugar and rum to the tomato sauce
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low
- Partially cover the sauce to avoid splattering while still allowing moisture to escape and let simmer for 1 hour
- Peel and the roasted peppers and slice into long matchstick sized pieces
- Trim the chuck beef if required and cut into approximately 1 1/2″ rustic chunks
- Season the beef generously with salt & pepper
- Warm a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat
- Add olive oil to the dutch oven
- Brown the beef chunks in small batches then set aside in a clean bowl
- Reduce the heat of your Dutch oven to medium, add margarine, Spanish onion & carrots, stirring frequently to de-glaze the pan
- When the carrots & onions just start to brown and are tender (around 6 to 8 minutes), add red wine and let simmer for 5 minutes
- Add thickened tomato sauce to the Dutch oven
- Return beef and any drippings to the Dutch oven
- Add sliced peppers to the Dutch oven
- Carefully pluck out the roasted garlic cloves and add them to the stew
- Gently stir to combine
- Add just enough of the warm vegetable broth to completely submerge all of your beef cubes, pressing them down if necessary
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting
- Add the bay leaves, cover and let simmer for 3 hours
- Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed rice with a sprinkling of chopped green onions
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Incredibly delicious Filipino beef mechado in a luxurious sauce made from unusual ingredients!
Time-Consuming? Yes … Worth IT? OMG YES!
Certainly unconventional, definitely lots of time spent on prep, and you will end up using a lot of pots there is no doubt! But, I can say with wholehearted conviction that this is absolutely one of the best beef stews I have ever had in my entire life and I highly recommend you set aside time at least one weekend in your life to give it a try and see for yourself why I am so passionately excited about this incredible dish. My love for Filipino cooking increases with every new dish I try, might just have to visit one day!
Be sure to drop us a line at your favourite social hangout with any new Filipino recipe suggestions you’d like to see here on IC.
Wishing you much delicious success in all of your culinary adventures.