Beef Morcon with Tomato Sauce: Best Filipino Christmas Dish
I have always wondered about the secret recipe ambers use to make beef morcon. Yes, beef with tomato sauce just has an amazing taste. The beef roulade is filled with flavorful ingredients, which includes eggs, pickles, and sausage, with a tangy tomato gravy that well combines savory and sour flavors.
As Christmas appears in the Philippines, so many ideas are evoked to celebrate it. The most important thing which is the same in celebration is food. And beef morcon is the best dish to commemorate the occasion. It’s a heritage Filipino dish, which is a must in festive gatherings.
Interestingly this dish is prepared not only at Christmas but also at the lunar year, New Year,or any holiday as well. You can visit Ambers restaurant to try this recipe for the celebration of the occasion, believe me, you love its taste. But I also shared an easy recipe so you can try it at home and enjoy it!
Price and serving options on Amber menu
Serving Size | Price |
8-10 persons | ₱ 1,320.00 |
What is Morcon?
Morcon is a Filipino-style beef roulade commonly served during holidays. This flavorful beef roll is stuffed with a mix of fillings like sausages, chorizo, pickles, hard-boiled eggs, and carrots, all wrapped in thin slices of beef.
The dish is slow-cooked in a rich tomato-based sauce until it is tender. Resulting in a savory melt-in-your-mouth.preparing Morcon is time time-consuming process. Rolling the beef tightly with its fillings is the trickiest part but practice makes you perfect.
What is another name for Morcon?
The name “Morcon” comes from the Spanish word morcón, which originally referred to a type of dry sausage used as stuffing for the dish. Over time, these sausages became known as longganisa or chorizo in the Philippines, while the name morcon became specifically associated with this rolled meat dish.
Why You’ll Love Beef Morcon
Morcon is more than a dish because you enjoy it on holidays. I think everyone loves holidays. The best thing about this is it’s a versatile main course that can be customized according to your taste. Here’s why it’s perfect for your Christmas spread:
- Customizable Fillings: Use classic ingredients like eggs, chorizo, and pickles, or get creative with your additions, like bacon, cheese, or ham.
- Perfect for Entertaining: Whether served in thick slices as a main dish or thinly sliced as an appetizer, Beef Morcon is always a hit at parties.
- .Rich, Sweet-Tangy Sauce: The tomato-based sauce, enhanced with pineapple juice and raisins, complements the savory beef rolls perfectly.
Here one more beef recipe is Kare-Kare with Bagoong & Crunchy Veggies
Preparation Time:
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Servings: 8
Ingredients For Beef Morcon
For the Beef Rolls:
- 2 pounds beef bottom round (thinly sliced)
- Juice from 1 lemon (or calamansi)
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 slices of bacon (or ham)
- 2 hot dogs, sliced lengthwise
- 2 chorizos, quartered lengthwise
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into strips
- 4 gherkins (sweet pickles), cut in half
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, sliced into strips
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
- Flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Reserved beef marinade
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth (or water)
- 1 cup pineapple juice(optional)
- ½ liver spread
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar(optional)
- ¼ cup chopped raisins or sultanas(optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparing the Beef Rolls
Tenderize the Beef:
- The first step is to slice the beef into thin layers.
- You can use a meat mallet to slice the beef about ½ inches thick
- The rectangular shape is considered ideal for morcon.
Marinate:
- Combine all marination ingredients like lemon juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a bowl.
- 30 minutes is enough for marination of beef pieces.
- After 30 minutes of marinating, remove excess liquid.
Prepare the Fillings:
- Now the most tricky part is to Arrange the fillings.
- Put bacon, carrots, hotdogs, chorizo, pickles, cheese, and eggs lengthwise on the beef slices.
- Roll the beef tightly to make a roll and secure it with kitchen twine or simple thread.
Coat and fry:
- Coat each beef roll with flour slightly.
- In a wide pan, heat oil at high temperatures.
- Fry the rolls until browned on all sides.
Making the Sauce
- Take 1 tbsp oil and fry onion and garlic in it until it’s translucent.
- Add excessive marinade which is reserved before. Boul it once and add tomato sauce and beef broth, bay leaves, brown sugar salt, and paper into it. Bring a boil.
- Optional ingredients I mentioned above you can add with all of these at your choice and taste.
- Carefully add the beef rolls to the sauce and cover the pot.
- Lower heat is better and leave it for 45-1 hour until beef is tender.
Finish the Sauce:
- Dish out the beef rolls from the pan.
- Add the liver spread into the remaining sauce and stir.
- Cook for 5 minutes to thicken.
- We can strain or blend for a smoother sauce.
Serving
Remove the thread from morcon. Slice the Morcon into 1-inch thick rounds.set lines in a serving dish. Serve with the tomato sauce on top. This dish beautifully complements with steamed rice. Which is perfect for family dinners or special occasions like Noche Buena.
Quick Tips
- Avoid marinating the beef for too long.
- Don’t tie the rolls too tightly because the meat needs some space to expand while cooking.
- You can use pineapple juice in place of water for extra flavor, but the choice is yours.
- You can prepare the beef rolls ahead of time
Storing Leftovers
- store the beef rolls and sauce separately.
- Refrigerate both for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, warm the beef in the sauce at a low temperature or a microwave can also be used.
More Filipino Beef Recipes
- Beef Curry
- Beef Pares
- Beef Mechado
- Beef Afritada
Nutritional Information (per serving)
- Calories: 555 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Protein: 40g
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Cholesterol: 208mg
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 14g
- Calcium: 184mg
Disclaimer
All nutritional values I describe may vary because of different ways of cooking. Also, ingredients used by anyone can change their values. So it’s just esteemed values not considered confirmed.
FAQ Abouts Beef Morcon
Conclusion
This Morcon recipe is part of your Christmas celebration. Beef Morcon is a Filipino dish that brings comfort and joy to any special gathering. While the preparation of this recipe takes time but result is a hearty, flavorful dish. Follow the recipe carefully to enjoy this recipe at home. You have some tips here that make your dish perfect. The customizable fillings and rich tomato sauce make this dish stand out, whether served as a main course or an appetizer. Make this Morcon recipe at home and chase the praise.