Mechado

Mechado is a Filipino beef roulade or stew dish braised in soy sauce and calamansi, with a tomato-based sauce. Traditionally, mechado was made by inserting strips of pork fatback (Spanish mecha, Filipino mitsa, "wick") into a cut of beef to lard it, giving the dish its name and tenderizing the meat. Today, the name often refers to a beef stew with much the same ingredients and preparation but without the larding process, i.e. the actual "mitsa" or wick of lard that originally gave the dish its name. Modern versions commonly include potatoes and carrots. == History == The dish reflects Spanish colonial influence on Filipino cuisine. While larding was a traditional Spanish method to tenderize tougher cuts of beef, Filipino cooks adapted it using local ingredients like soy sauce, calamansi, and tomatoes. ==Etymology==

The name "Mechado" comes from the Spanish word mecha or mechar, meaning "wick" or "to stuff," referencing the traditional larding method.