MOM'S MECHADO
Literally how my mom used to make it.
Ingredients:
1 kilo beef threaded with pork fat
garlic, onions and tomatoes, minced
1 small can of tomato sauce
potatoes and carrots, cubed
2 laurel leaves
1/5 to 1/4 cup soy sauce
ground pepper
Actual email: You can get a 2 lb. (a kilo) slab of beef, insert pork fat in the middle (in Manila, i'd get it from Rustan's or SM supermarkets prepared that way). You can thickly slice it and put in a pot. Mince garlic, onions and tomatoes, then place on top of the meat. Add a small can of tomato sauce. Add water using the same small can. Add pepper and soy sauce, around 1/4 cup. See, am not into measurements so be careful in adding too much soy sauce at once. When beef is almost done, taste.
Better to cook it slowly. Enjoy!
NINANG ETANG'S MECHADO (from Positively Filipino)
Ninang Etang's Mechado leaves required threading of the fat to the cook's imagination. From "Recipes of the Philippines" by Enriqueta David-Perez, pioneer food editor of Manila. The book was in its 19th print as of 1973.
Ingredients:
1 kilo beef, lean
4 big onions, whole
1/2 cup vinegar
Strips of pork fat
1 can tomato sauce (small)
6 potatoes, cut in halves
1/2 laurel leaf
2 tbsps. fat
1 tsp. pimenton
Salt to taste
1. Insert fat strips lengthwise in beef.
2. In a deep pot or pan, place the meat, laurel, tomato sauce, vinegar, salt to taste and water to cover. Cover and simmer until tender.
3. Add potatoes, onions and pimenton and continue cooking.
4. When most of the broth has evaporated and potatoes are cooked, add the fat and stir well.
Serve meat sliced crosswise.
Showing posts with label slow food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow food. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Monday, December 10, 2018
Back in the Galley: Bellychon
I've made this dish twice now, and the second one was better than the first. Still need to find my perfect technique for the skin though.
Ingredients:
1 kilo pork belly, whole and skin-on
insane amount of minced garlic
smashed lemongrass stalks
laurel leaves
ground pepper
salt
spices, chilies, peppers, other accoutrements (optional)
1. Prepare the pork belly. Ensure that there isn't too much hair on the skin; there's a scorched skin method to get rid of the hairs (see dong po rou recipe below for a video). Also better if the belly is sliced fairly evenly so it can roll up nicely.
2. Generously rub salt and pepper onto the meat and skin. Lay the belly skin-side down and layer garlic, lemongrass, and bay leaves. You can also add other spices here, although I prefer to keep the flavourings simple.
3. Roll up the belly and tie with twine. Cover with aluminium foil.
4. Preheat oven at 180C and roast for 1 hour or so for every kilo of meat. I use a rotisserie oven so I am not too concerned about heat distribution or repositioning of the meat: I set the oven to broil so the heat comes from the top.
5. Raise heat to 200-220C. Remove aluminium foil and continue roasting until skin starts to brown. After about an hour you need to check in more often to make sure the skin is crisping evenly. You may need to regularly reposition the meat to make sure that the skin that needs the most attention is closest to the heat source. Some tips for helping the skin to crisp are to prick the skin pre-cooking, baste with oil, or baste with milk (to make it red). I used the pre-pricking method.
6. When skin is done, or as crisp as it will ever get without burning, take out the roast from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you start slicing.
Serve with sinamak (dipping sauce of spiced coconut vinegar), tomato/herb salad, and steamed rice. Goes well with a robust red wine.
A few pictures:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrH9rvphZB2/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrIDVzghuEL/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlfXj5Fn7x0/ (first attempt)
Ingredients:
1 kilo pork belly, whole and skin-on
insane amount of minced garlic
smashed lemongrass stalks
laurel leaves
ground pepper
salt
spices, chilies, peppers, other accoutrements (optional)
1. Prepare the pork belly. Ensure that there isn't too much hair on the skin; there's a scorched skin method to get rid of the hairs (see dong po rou recipe below for a video). Also better if the belly is sliced fairly evenly so it can roll up nicely.
2. Generously rub salt and pepper onto the meat and skin. Lay the belly skin-side down and layer garlic, lemongrass, and bay leaves. You can also add other spices here, although I prefer to keep the flavourings simple.
3. Roll up the belly and tie with twine. Cover with aluminium foil.
4. Preheat oven at 180C and roast for 1 hour or so for every kilo of meat. I use a rotisserie oven so I am not too concerned about heat distribution or repositioning of the meat: I set the oven to broil so the heat comes from the top.
5. Raise heat to 200-220C. Remove aluminium foil and continue roasting until skin starts to brown. After about an hour you need to check in more often to make sure the skin is crisping evenly. You may need to regularly reposition the meat to make sure that the skin that needs the most attention is closest to the heat source. Some tips for helping the skin to crisp are to prick the skin pre-cooking, baste with oil, or baste with milk (to make it red). I used the pre-pricking method.
6. When skin is done, or as crisp as it will ever get without burning, take out the roast from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you start slicing.
Serve with sinamak (dipping sauce of spiced coconut vinegar), tomato/herb salad, and steamed rice. Goes well with a robust red wine.
A few pictures:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrH9rvphZB2/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrIDVzghuEL/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlfXj5Fn7x0/ (first attempt)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Estofado de Lucas
It's been a while since my last post. Between my Floyd memorial and this post I moved residences and had a new position at the Bank. And I became a proud father to my son Lucas. I name this dish after our little boy because this truly is a fusion of my Dear's and my cooking styles. And it can give you a good kick.
Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork, cubed (menudo cut)
1/4 kilo potato marbles, halved
about 6 medium tomatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic, chopped
dried chile pods (I used chile Arbol)
fish sauce (patis)
fennel seeds, about a pinch or two
black pepper, coarsely ground
cooking oil (I used canola oil because of its neutral flavour)
2 cups stock, chicken or beef
1. Brown the pork in a stew pot. Hold on to the spices for now-- don't put anything on the pork, just chuck it into the pot and cook until all the liquid evaporates and the fat starts rendering. A few brown pieces is good. Set the pork aside.
2. Using the same pot, heat up some oil fry the black pepper, fennel seeds, and dried chile pods until you start to smell them. Put in the onions and garlic and fry them until they release their aroma as well.
3. Chuck in the tomatoes. As they're frying (and releasing their lycopene into the oil, turning it red), mash the tomatoes so you'll get a light quasi-tomato sauce in the pot. Don't use canned tomato sauce as the tomato flavour will tend to overpower the dish-- nothing really beats beating fresh tomatoes into a pulp. Season with some fish sauce to taste and to add a slight fermented layer to the flavours. At this stage you can actually use this sauce on pasta.
4. Chuck in the pork and stir. Bring up the temperature in the pot and fry the pork in the sauce for a while. Then chuck in the potatoes and fry some more, stirring to make sure that the sauce/oil coats every piece of potato. Let it all fry on high for about five minutes until they're all happily blended.
5. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let the pot simmer. Stir from time to time. Reduce the sauce to the desired thickness and turn off the heat.
Let it stand for about 15 minutes to let the flavours mature then serve with steamed rice.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Deep Fried Everything and Azeri Cuisine
For my birthday my Dear gave me a deep fryer. I usually avoid deep-frying stuff to show some concern for my health, but I do like fried foods like everyone else so this was a welcome gift. I'd feel too guilty to buy myself a deep fryer, even if it would make a good addition to my galley gear. It requires at least 750mL of oil to start cooking-- not exactly frugal, but it does go a long way.
So two weeks ago I finally used the deep fryer, frying everything I can put my hands on. I began with a lunch of deep fried sausages and eggplant. For dinner, I fried potato wedges, Vienna sausages, and some canned salmon. The following day, I fried some Thai-style chicken wrapped in pandan leaves bought from SM. After which I had to reluctantly throw away the oil-- I don't usually consume 750mL of canola oil for just three meals.
This week I tried my hand at making saciçi, that afritada-like Azeri chicken dish I had in Baku. I departed from the original recipe though-- I used olive oil and butter instead of pure butter, I added a lot of garlic, and I cooked it with orange juice and slices. Also, I used bigger cuts of chicken and vegetables in my saciçi so I had to use more water while cooking; thus, the ensuing dish had a lot more sauce. It's quite greasy due to the copius amount of oil and butter, but the orange cuts through it a little bit. It was quite close to the saciçi I had in Baku, though I wish I used less water so the chicken and vegetables could've fried more. Next time I'll use smaller cuts of chicken.
Finally, just saw a video on Azeri cuisine:
Now I'm officially looking for a good Azeri (i.e., Turkish) restaurant in Manila.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Luxurious Liempo
Here’s my take on the classic lechon kawali. It stores well in the fridge and, as you'll see, it attains perfection after reheating. Perfect for those who only have time to cook during weekends and can only reheat stuff for weekday dinners.
Ingredients:
pork liempo (at least 1 kilo)
salt
pepper
garlic
laurel leaves
spices
1. The most important element here is the pork. You need to use pork liempo (belly) and they have to be in big chunks. And I mean big: I usually cut one kilo of liempo into three or four pieces. You need the size to ensure the right texture; don't use those bacon-thin strips of liempo. You also need to use liempo for the flavour-- yes, the fat really helps. Obviously, health food this isn't.
2. Season the pork with salt, pepper, and spices. You can use any spice mix you want: recently I used Cajun seasoning, but you can also use Old Bay, curry, or anything that's available. You can also skip the spices and just stick with salt and pepper. Remember to be generous with the flavourings-- very few of the essential oils will actually penetrate the meat so make up for it with flavour strength.
3. Braise the pork (i.e., boil in slow to medium heat) along with the bay leaves and garlic; I also add some dried chile arbol just because I have some. Boil the pork for a long time, like two hours or more, until the pork is completely cooked and soft. Take your time; watch some TV or do some homework. Turn the pork occasionally, and make sure it doesn't run out of water before you're done.
4. Drain the remaining stock and allow the pork to cool down. If you did this at night, put the pork in the chiller and go to sleep. If you still have a meal ahead of you, keep the piece you're going to eat and chuck the rest into the chiller.
5. Prior to serving, brown the pork using your preferred browning method-- frying or broiling. I personally prefer broiling because it allows the fat to drain. Since the meat is already cooked all you have to worry about is its final state-- how crisp and brown you want it or how much of the fat you want to drain away. With some patience you can get the skin to a very crisp state-- not like lechon or chicharon, but still good. Note that this is the second time you're cooking the meat so by the time you're finished it will be falling off your fork.
Serve with steamed rice and vegetables on the side-- grilled eggplant is a perfect partner.
* When you braise meat it goes through three phases: (1) raw, (2) cooked but rubbery, and (3) cooked and soft. From (1) to (2), the heat denatures the meat (i.e., cooks the proteins) but also makes it tougher. As you continue to braise the meat, the heat and moisture transforms the tough proteins (specifically collagen) into gelatin, softening the meat to perfection. The meat will toughen up when you put it in the fridge because of the gelatin cooling down, but it will easily soften again with just a little reheating.
Ingredients:
pork liempo (at least 1 kilo)
salt
pepper
garlic
laurel leaves
spices
1. The most important element here is the pork. You need to use pork liempo (belly) and they have to be in big chunks. And I mean big: I usually cut one kilo of liempo into three or four pieces. You need the size to ensure the right texture; don't use those bacon-thin strips of liempo. You also need to use liempo for the flavour-- yes, the fat really helps. Obviously, health food this isn't.
2. Season the pork with salt, pepper, and spices. You can use any spice mix you want: recently I used Cajun seasoning, but you can also use Old Bay, curry, or anything that's available. You can also skip the spices and just stick with salt and pepper. Remember to be generous with the flavourings-- very few of the essential oils will actually penetrate the meat so make up for it with flavour strength.
3. Braise the pork (i.e., boil in slow to medium heat) along with the bay leaves and garlic; I also add some dried chile arbol just because I have some. Boil the pork for a long time, like two hours or more, until the pork is completely cooked and soft. Take your time; watch some TV or do some homework. Turn the pork occasionally, and make sure it doesn't run out of water before you're done.
4. Drain the remaining stock and allow the pork to cool down. If you did this at night, put the pork in the chiller and go to sleep. If you still have a meal ahead of you, keep the piece you're going to eat and chuck the rest into the chiller.
5. Prior to serving, brown the pork using your preferred browning method-- frying or broiling. I personally prefer broiling because it allows the fat to drain. Since the meat is already cooked all you have to worry about is its final state-- how crisp and brown you want it or how much of the fat you want to drain away. With some patience you can get the skin to a very crisp state-- not like lechon or chicharon, but still good. Note that this is the second time you're cooking the meat so by the time you're finished it will be falling off your fork.
Serve with steamed rice and vegetables on the side-- grilled eggplant is a perfect partner.
* When you braise meat it goes through three phases: (1) raw, (2) cooked but rubbery, and (3) cooked and soft. From (1) to (2), the heat denatures the meat (i.e., cooks the proteins) but also makes it tougher. As you continue to braise the meat, the heat and moisture transforms the tough proteins (specifically collagen) into gelatin, softening the meat to perfection. The meat will toughen up when you put it in the fridge because of the gelatin cooling down, but it will easily soften again with just a little reheating.
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