Filipino Beef Stew Is the New “So Delicious” Dinner I’m Making Every Week (My Family Loves It!)

My mom, like many parents, had her weekly dinner rotation down to a science. Between raising two young kids and working as an overnight nurse at a hospital, she didn’t have very much free time to experiment in the kitchen. My dad, sister, and I knew to expect chicken adobo, filipino spaghetti, and giniling to make an appearance on the dinner table. 

When she didn’t have time to cook, we’d either have leftovers or she’d pick up food from the turo turo at the local Filipino store. (“Turo turo,” which translates to “point point,” refers to the style of ordering at fast food places.) Mechado, a savory beef stew, was one of those dishes. It was the only beef stew I knew of until I was older. And now that I’ve tried others, none compare. To this day, mechado is still the best beef stew I’ve ever tasted.

Get the recipe: Mechado

• It’s extra savory. The combination of tomato sauce and soy sauce delivers a delicious stew that packs umami flavor.
• It’s mostly hands-off. Once you sear the beef and add a few more ingredients to the pot, there’s no more active cooking, which makes it great for busy weekdays. The best part is you can choose between simmering the stew on the stovetop or in the oven.

1. Brown the beef. Sear pieces of beef chuck roast until well-browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add aromatics and cooking liquid. Toss in sliced onion, minced garlic, water, tomato sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, dried bay leaves, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. 
3. Simmer stew until tender. Keep your pot on the stovetop, or transfer to the oven and simmer. Halfway through cooking, add potatoes and carrots. Continue simmering until everything’s meltingly tender. Serve with white rice — it’s a must for soaking up the sauce. 

Get the recipe: Mechado

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Filipino Beef Stew Is So Delicious, I'm Making It for Dinner Every Week (My Family Requests It!)