An heirloom Morcon recipe
MANILA, Philippines — Morcon comes up in Chef Myrna Segismundo’s mind whenever she recalls a fond Christmas childhood memory.
The chef specifically looks back to the Morcon that her mom used to make. Thus, when you ask her to assemble a Filipino Christmas spread, she would always include Morcon a la Emilia.
She showed how it is made at The Maya Kitchen’s Culinary Elite Series when she took on the challenge of teaching participants how to whip up a special feast for family and friends in a special session called Filipino Flavors of Christmas.
Here is the recipe:
Morcon a la Emilia
Ingredients:
2 kgs. beef sirloin, cut into 2 portions, each measuring 8x5x1/2-inch slices (pound lightly if needed)
Juice from 2 lemons or limes or 10 pcs. calamansi
1 cup soy sauce
1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp. black peppercorns, cracked
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8-10 pcs. sweet pickles, quartered
4-6 pcs. Spanish sausages (chorizo), each cut into 4 horizontal strips
200 grams pork fat, cut into 1/4x2-inch strips
1/3 kg. Edam Cheese or Queso de Bola, cut into 1/4x2-inch strips
150 grams ham strips
1 can pimientos, sliced into strips
5 eggs, boiled, peeled and wedged
Butcher’s thread
2 pcs. white onions, minced, sautéed in a little oil
4 pcs. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped, sautéed in a little oil
Enough water to cover meat
1 cup tomato sauce
3 pcs. potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup green olives
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Procedure:
1. Marinade beef slices in lemon, lime or calamansi juice, soy sauce, garlic and pepper for 2 hours.
2. Remove beef from marinade and spread slices flat on tray. Reserve marinade. Spread top side of each slice with butter. Line each center of the slices horizontally with strips of pickles, sausages, pork fat, cheese, ham, pimientos and boiled eggs. Roll each slice into a cylinder and tie with butcher’s thread to bind beef and stuffing. Rub and coat rolls with the sautéed onions and tomatoes.
3. Place beef rolls in a pot or casserole. Pour in marinade. Add water and tomato sauce. Cook rolls covered over medium heat for about 30 minutes until sauce thickens or until beef is half-done.
4. Add quartered potatoes and olives. Continue simmering until the beef is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cool the beef rolls thoroughly. Remove string. Carefully slice the rolled beef into half-inch thick cuts, making sure the stuffing is intact. Arrange slices neatly on a platter.
6. Heat sauce with potatoes and olives. Pour sauce over slices and garnish with the potatoes and olives. Serve warm.
*Serves 4 to 6.
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