Beef Morcon
Morcon is the Philippines’ festive beef roulade — a butterflied slab of beef rolled around hard-boiled eggs, carrots, pickles, cheese, and sausage, then simmered in a rich tomato sauce until tender. Sliced into rounds, its cross-section reveals a colorful spiral that makes it a showpiece on the Noche Buena table every Christmas. It takes some patience to assemble, but the result is a dish worthy of any special occasion.
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Instructions
- Marinate the flattened beef in soy sauce, calamansi juice, and garlic for at least 30 minutes.
- Lay the beef flat and arrange the eggs, carrots, pickles, cheese, and sausage in rows across the center.
- Roll the beef tightly around the filling and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1-2 inch intervals.
- Heat oil in a pot and sear the roulade on all sides until browned. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion, then add tomato sauce, beef broth, and bay leaves. Return the beef roll to the pot.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours, turning occasionally, until the beef is tender and the sauce has reduced.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing into rounds to reveal the filling; spoon sauce over each serving.
Cook's Tip
Let the cooked morcon rest for at least 10 minutes off the heat before slicing — cutting it straight out of the pot lets the filling spill apart, while resting firms up the roll so each slice holds its neat spiral cross-section.