Scale

1½ lb (700 g) beef chuck or beef shank, cut into large cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons calamansi juice or lemon juice

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water or beef broth

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 medium carrots, sliced into chunks

1 red bell pepper, sliced (optional)

Marinate the beef (optional but recommended):
Combine beef, soy sauce, and calamansi (or lemon) juice. Marinate for at least 30 minutes for deeper flavor.
Brown the beef:
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef pieces until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Sauté aromatics:
In the same pot, sauté onion until soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Build the sauce:
Return beef to the pot. Add tomato sauce, water or broth, bay leaves, black pepper, and sugar if using. Stir well.
Simmer:
Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer for 1–1½ hours until beef is fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
Add vegetables:
Add potatoes and carrots. Continue simmering 20–30 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens.
Final seasoning:
Adjust salt and pepper. Add bell peppers in the last 5 minutes if using.
Serve:
Remove bay leaves and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Traditional touch: Some versions add a small amount of soy sauce at the end for deeper color and savoriness.

Richer flavor: Use beef shank for a more gelatin-rich stew.

Shortcut: Pressure cooker or Instant Pot reduces cooking time to about 45 minutes total.

Next-day magic: Like many stews, Mechado tastes even better the next day.