This Carne Mechada dish (Braised Beef Roll) is an amazingly-juicy beef dish stuffed with pork sausage and vegetables. You'll be licking your fingers.
Why we ❤️ it
A little while ago I had an exchange with our friend Amity, who has lived both in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. I mentioned that unlike Venezuela, where Carne Ripiada is known as Carne Mechada, in the Dominican Republic Carne Mechada (Braised Beef Roll) was known to a lot of people as an entirely different dish.
I promised her I would share the recipe, for clarity's sake.
What is Carne Mechada?
In our country carne mechada is a dish of beef stuffed with ham and some vegetables, cooked over very low heat for a long time until the meat is very tender.
Other ways to do this is to make holes in the meat and stuff them, instead of making a roll as we present here. I like this way more because it looks better and is easier, the meat dries less too.
Serving suggestions
I really liked the carne mechada with arroz blanco and a few slices of avocado. You can also serve it with tostones, or fritos maduros. And since they have a thick and abundant sauce, it goes very well with moro de habichuelas, or guandules.
About this recipe
In this case, I have used longaniza (pork sausage) instead of ham to give it more flavor. I've done it both ways and apparently, the difference is remarkable. If you prefer ham, use it then (it is the York type).
I would love to hear about your experience if you prepare this dish. As I always remind you, you can make changes to the recipe if you wish, except for the baking recipes, almost all of our recipes can be adapted to the reader's taste.
I hope you enjoy this Carne Mechada (Braised Beef Roll). It's very much worth making.
Recipe
Dominican Carne Mechada Recipe (Braised Beef Roll)
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, cut into strips, divided
- 2 bell pepper, cut into strips, divided
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste)
- 2 teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste), divided
- 2 pound beef tenderloin, [0.8 kg] (or flank)
- ½ pound longaniza (pre-cooked), [0.23 kg] (or other pork sausage)
- 1 small carrot, cut into strips
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, (corn, soy or peanut)
- 3 cups water, (may need a bit more)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup pitted green olives
- ⅛ cup capers, (optional)
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
Make seasoning: In a food processor blend half of the onion, a quarter of the bell pepper, oregano, garlic, a pinch of pepper, and a teaspoon of salt.
Stuffing the meat: Cut the meat into a tube by inserting the knife lengthwise (in the same direction of the fibers). Season the meat inside and out with the blended mix. Stuff the beef with the longaniza, some onion strips, some bell pepper strips, and some carrot strips. Wrap with twine (if you have), to keep the roll more compact, juicier and beautiful. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Brown the meat: After the hour has passed, heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (6 qt [6 lt] over high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserve the marinade for later use. Pat dry the meat with a paper towel. Place the meat in the heated oil, carefully to avoid burning yourself. Brown the meat, turning every few minutes to get a uniform brown color all over.
Make the sauce: While the meat browns, mix a cup of water, tomato sauce, flour, and the remaining marinade. Remove the meat from the pot and discard the twine. Meanwhile pour the tomato sauce mixture into the pot, stirring to incorporate all the browned bits. Stir in the olives, capers, and the remaining carrot, bell peppers, and onion. Place the meat back into the pot.
Cook the roll: Lower the heat to a minimum, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 30 minutes, rotating the meat every so often so it cooks uniformly. The sauce should have been reduced to half, if it is too dry, add additional water.
Serving: Once this time has passed, remove the meat from the sauce, place it on a cutting board, and cut it into slices.Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce into a serving plate and place the slices on top. Sprinkle with parsley.Serve per suggestions above the recipe.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
