Mechado is a Filipino dish that is essentially beef stew. Classically, a cheap and lean cut of beef is used. It is cubed, and pork back fat is inserted through the pieces in order for them to not dry up during the cooking process, which is apparently a Spanish cooking technique. The name came from the word mecha meaning wick, which is what the back fat resembled hanging out of the beef pieces. The beef is marinated in citrus, soy sauce, garlic, and other spices. They are browned and then braised in the same marinade along with stock and tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots and spices.
My mom has a special version of this dish though. She forgoes the pork back fat and the tomato sauce and uses beef short ribs and tomato paste instead. Stews with bones in them are especially flavorful and has better mouthfeel, in my opinion. And then she adds star anise which made everything brighter, and floral and beautiful, and more...Asian. I wanted to recreate it using vegetarian and pescatarian ingredients. I also wanted to make it more aromatic and use Southeast Asian spices and herbs in an attempt to exorcise it of its Spanish-ness. As usual, I research and read a few recipes and find a common thread among them especially if it's something I've never made before. I then asked my family - in this case, my mom - how they make their versions (if they know how) and then I come up with my own. When I presented the idea to my mom that I was going to cook this using jackfruit, she said "Yuck!"
My mom is my toughest critic, I mean she rarely eats what I make. And I don't mean to put her in a bad light but her palate is specifically (and dedicated to) Filipino flavors. She's not open-minded about other cultures' foods, understandably so. She's an immigrant, and food is home.
As I was cooking and asking her to guide me through some processes (she was cooking breakfast next to me), she was already weirded out that I'm using cinnamon, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, daun salam which is Indonesian bay leaf, and young green peppercorn on top of star anise. I also added fresh tomatoes on top of the tomato paste. When I was nearing the end of my cooking, I had her taste the sauce.
"It's too sour!!! Did you use the entire can of tomato paste?!"
"Yes, I did..."
"Why?! Don't you know you're only supposed to use a little bit? It's only used to help thicken the sauce! What kind of a chef are you? Shouldn't you know this already? I didn't even go to cooking school and I know this! You already used fresh tomatoes! It's so sour!"
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
I just laughed at myself because she's right. I had forgotten some basics. I mean what was I thinking using the entire can of tomato paste? I think I became overconfident. And so to fix it, I added palm sugar to balance out the sourness. I had her taste it again.
"NOW IT'S TOO SWEET! I'm gonna make mine tomorrow (with meat) and have you taste the sauce. The sauce is how you hook people!"
Damn.
I mean, I actually think that what I ended up making is delicious. But it puts into perspective where her palate is and how much my palate has evolved - if you can even call it that. Most of the time my palate is just bored and is constantly looking for depth, and hints, and notes, and all that frou frou. What's most important is that it recalled culinary school teachings of "learn and master the classics first, and then you can put your own twist."
Anyway, here's how to fuck it up:
2 cans young jackfruit in brine (DO NOT use the ripe jackfruit in syrup)
2 medium carrots, sliced on a bias
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 can tomato paste
2/3 cup calamansi juice
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 stick cinnamon
1 kaffir lime leaf
2 stalks lemongrass, bottom part (light green) only, bruised with back of knife
4-5 star anise
2 Indonesian bay leaves, or regular bay leaves
3 tablespoons palm sugar
4 sprigs young green peppercorn in brine
fish sauce to taste
tomato paste can-full of water
vegetable oil
In a pot, heat oil on high and brown carrots. Add in shallots and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and cook down until most liquid has evaporated. Spoon in an entire can of tomato paste, cinnamon and star anise and saute until paste loosens up and becomes fragrant. Drop in jackfruit and mix to coat with the paste. Saute for about 5-7 minutes and then pour in the calamansi juice, soy sauce, and water. Drop in lemongrass, peppercorns, lime leaf, and bay leaves. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes covered. Add fish sauce to taste and mix in palm sugar. Simmer for 10 more minutes and then it's ready. Always with jasmine rice!
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