Tag: #Stew

Posted in #Recipes

Mechado (Filipino Beef Stew)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Mechado is one of those Filipino dishes that always tastes like home to me. It’s a slow-cooked beef stew with potatoes and carrots simmered in a tomato-based sauce. My mom used to make this for us when I was growing up, and it’s still one of my favorite meals. Whenever the pot was simmering on the stove, I knew dinner was going to be something comforting and delicious.

A lot of Filipino stews share similarities, but each has its own character. Afritada uses chicken and usually has a lighter tomato base, while kaldereta is known for its richer flavor and sometimes includes liver spread. Menudo is usually made with pork, along with smaller diced vegetables. Mechado sits somewhere in between — still tomato-forward, but with tender beef chuck that makes it especially satisfying. It’s cozy, hearty, and one of the most comforting meals you can make.

Why You’ll Love It

  • The best comfort food. With tender beef, rich sauce, and hearty vegetables, it’s a classic Filipino stew that the whole family will love.
  • Make it two ways. You can cook it low and slow on the stovetop, or in the oven. It’s perfect for making ahead, too!

Tips from Our Recipe Tester

This recipe tastes like my childhood. The beef was tender and the veggies were well-cooked. My daughter couldn’t get enough of the sauce. It was rich with depth and very flavorful. I appreciated that there were two cooking options, which gives flexibility to the cook. —Kristina, September 2025

Savory beef stew with chunks of potatoes, red peppers, and rice in a white bowl.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Brett Regot

Key Ingredients in Mechado 

  • Boneless beef chuck roast: Trim the excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
  • Aromatics: Yellow onion and garlic build the foundation of flavor.
  • Vegetables: Use a combination of Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, and red bell pepper for the stew.
  • Tomato sauce: This creates the rich, tangy base that mechado is known for.
  • Soy sauce: Adds umami and savory flavor.
  • Bay leaves: When simmered in the sauce, they add their signature aroma that ties the whole dish together.

The Kitchn

Posted in #Recipes

Beef Stew with Biscuits

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Meat loaf, breaded pork chops and chicken pot pie were just a few of the go-to dinners in my mother’s recipe rotation. But of the many timeless family recipes she cooked, her beef stew with biscuits was always my favorite. The tender pieces of stew meat and a medley of carrots, onions, potatoes and green beans were smothered in a rich homemade gravy and covered in buttery, fluffy biscuits. It’s one meal I still request as an adult when I visit home.

My mother’s stew recipe is just like this one, cooked low and slow on the stovetop in a Dutch oven and then finished in the oven to bake the biscuits. If you’re looking for a shortcut, though, this easy stew recipe can also be prepared in a slow cooker or even in a pressure cooker, ensuring the comforts of home are always within reach.

Ingredients for Beef Stew with Biscuits

  • Beef stew meat: Beef sold as stew meat typically comes from a tougher cut, often the chuck or round, and benefits from braising or stewing to make it tender. Buy it precut, or cut the beef into chunks yourself.
  • Flour: Flouring the beef before giving it an initial sear helps give the meat pieces a nice, brown crust, which enhances the flavor and thickens the stew. In fact, it’s one of our top stew tips.
  • Canola oil: This neutral-flavored oil is perfect for browning the beef.
  • Bouillon cubes: To make the stew base, dissolve a few bouillon cubes in boiling water. Use your favorite boxed or homemade beef stock if you don’t have bouillon cubes.
  • Seasonings: The stew is seasoned with salt, pepper and a trio of fresh parsley, thyme and rosemary, which brings color and aromatic flavor.
  • Vegetables: A blend of homestyle vegetables—starchy potatoes, sweet carrots, crisp green beans and zippy onions—bulks up this beefy biscuit stew.
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch mixed with water is best when it comes to thickening sauces, homemade gravy, stews and more.
  • Biscuit dough: This stew is topped with classic drop biscuits made from flour, baking powder, salt, canola oil, milk and melted butter.

Taste of Home