Beef Mechado

Beef mechado is a recipe that calls for beef with carrots, potatoes and tomato sauce. This recipe is adapted from beef mechado. I know it's a far cry from the original recipe with the conspicuous absence of potatoes and tomato sauce, which can be rarely found at grocery stores here anyway. But for lack of a better word, the name will stay, for now, that is.

I'm using the same beef shank and tendon which I have simmered (was that a week ago?). But don't worry, I cooked this dish days ago but just couldn't find the time to post.

Anyway, on to the cooking...

Heat wok, saute garlic, onions and red bell peppers. This is like my father's trademark. Almost always, he would saute garlic, onion and tomato at the start of his cooking (even in cooking beef nilaga) and this really brings out the aroma and taste of the garlic and onion.

Since my beef has already been simmered, I added the carrots at this point. Then the beef and a little of the beef stock. There was no need for any thickening agent (cornstarch) since the broth was actually thick enough. Season with salt and pepper, maggi(tm) liquid seasoning. And we're done!

You can actually season this dish with anything you want. You can also add tomato sauce, and a dash of italian seasoning or even add curry and coconut milk to make this beef curry. Scrap the carrots and add more onions then you have bistek. There are so many ways to work with beef, huh?!!

my husband and son loved it! but my daughter (the finicky eater), didn't so I guess this time I would qualify this dish as a partial hit! that's not cheating, or is it?