Filipino Morcon - the Pinoy's Savory Roulade

Filled Rolled Beef in Tomato Sauce

Filipino Morcon is a party dish, is made from rolled beef and cooked in either red or white sauce.

Some Filipino morcon recipes use tomato sauce, while others use a creamy white sauce.

You need a cut of beef that is lean and that which you can slice thinly, fill and roll without tearing. Though your best bet is a flank steak, it is quite an expensive cut. Other options are top round or bottom round.

As for filling, boiled egg is standard, then the strips of chorizo de bilbao, ham and pickles are arranged to give a bit of each per slice of the rolled beef.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Flank Steak
• Chorizo de Bilbao
• Ham
• Sweet Pickles
• Tomato Sauce
• Food-safe twine or string (to tie the roll)

IN THE PANTRY:

• Eggs
• Calamansi or Lemon Juice
• Soy Sauce
• Garlic
• Onion
• Salt
• Pepper
• Bay Leaf or Laurel leaf

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds Flank Steak
• 1 4-inch long Chorizo de Bilbao, cut in long strips
• 1 thick slice of Ham, cut in strips
• 2 pieces Sweet Whole Pickles, cut in long strips
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons Calamansi or Lemon Juice
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 can Tomato Sauce
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 piece Bay Leaf or Laurel leaf

Morcon

1 Marinate the beef in calamansi juice and soy sauce. Set aside for a few minutes while you prepare the fillings.

2 Lay the beef flat and arrange the filling along the length of the beef : quartered eggs, ham, pickles and chorizo.

3 Roll the beef, holding the fillings firm, and tie with a twine or string.

4 On a heavy skillet, sear to brown the beef in little oil. Set aside.

5 On the same pan, saute the garlic and onion, add the seared beef, tomato sauce and bay leaf.

6 Add enough water to cover the meat and bring to a boil.

7 Turn the heat down and simmer the beef for 20 - 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

8 Season with salt and pepper.

9 Serve with rice.

(Learn more about COOKING RICE, THE FILIPINO WAY.)

BENG'S TIPS

• If chorizo de bilbao is not available, don't fret -- just omit it. Other filling options are strips of carrots, celery and bacon.
• For a nice clean slices of Morcon, use an electric knife, if available.
• Remember to remove the bay leaf from the sauce before serving. Your guest could choke on it.

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