The recipe for “Carne Mechada” is another classic in Chilean gastronomy, a protagonist in our culinary cultural heritage, often confused with “carne desmechada,” which refers to a completely different recipe.
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How to make Chilean Carne Mechada?
Preparing “carne mechada” is an excellent alternative for a popular and economical cut like “pollo ganso” (goose chicken), and it can be served with boiled or fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice, in a broth, or as a sandwich.
Nutritional Information
Category: Main Courses
Cuisine: Chilean
Calories: 350
Vitamins: A, B6, B12, D, K
Minerals: Potassium, Iron
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 60 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Step-by-step recipe for Carne Mechada
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg of lean beef (goose chicken)
- 50 ml of oil (3 tablespoons)
- 8 canned tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 ½ liters of water
- 1 carrot, cut into long sticks
- 1 celery stalk, cut into long sticks
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¼ red bell pepper, sliced
- Paprika
- Dried oregano
- Salt
Preparation
- Remove any excess fat from the meat and “mecharla” (poke it) with the help of a sharp, thin knife, inserting carrot, celery, and garlic sticks alternately on both sides, pressing until reaching the center of the meat.
- In a large bowl, gather and season the meat with salt, paprika, and dried oregano to taste.
- Preheat a large skillet with a drizzle of sunflower oil and sear the meat for a couple of minutes, browning it on all sides.
- In a pressure cooker, add chopped onion, bell pepper, and a little oil, incorporating the recently seared meat.
- In the skillet where the meat was seared, add the tomatoes until they begin to release juice, then add the meat, water, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot, cool, and slice into pieces.
- Serve the “carne mechada” immediately, hot, accompanied, for example, by spicy mashed potatoes, spring rice, or French fries.
Origin of Chilean “Carne Mechada”
The name “mechada” derives from the mining work of inserting wicks into dynamite cartridges in rocks, something similar to what is done with this meat when carrots, sausages, bell peppers, or garlic are inserted into it, among other ingredients.
Did you know?
Since 2016, every July 5th in Chile, the “Day of Carne Mechada” is celebrated, originally promoted by the Martuca Soda Fountain. They took the opportunity to celebrate the first anniversary of the establishment located in Manuel Montt, Providencia.
