Superb Beef Tacho Recipe | My Family’s Emotional Connection

Portuguese stew called tacho (Chau Chau Pele) is traditionally prepared with chicken, cabbage, puffed pork skins, and Chinese cured meats. A masterpiece of Portuguese cooking, tacho is prepared in a Chinese kitchen in Macau. This dish has many different variations, with some using Chouriços instead of Chinese sausage and daikon instead of turnips. Tachos may also include pork rind, pig trotters, or balichão, along with cabbage, carrots, lap yuk, and Chinese sausages served over rice. It can be quite time-consuming, taking at least a couple of hours or more, but it is a fantastic option for a hearty lunch at family gatherings. This traditional Macanese home cooking dish is a soulful and filling dish that originates from one of the outstanding women who have preserved Macau cuisine in the global community.

Though this dish calls for pig, I substitute beef so that anyone who prefers not to eat pork can still enjoy Tacho with this simple recipe.

Ingredients: (for 5 servings)

• 1 beef hock, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lamb foot, sliced into 2-inch cubes
• 3 center-cut beef chops, divided in half
• 5 pieces of chicken, 2-inch sliced
• 1 piece of salted beef 3×3 inches, cut into 2″ cubes
• 1 piece Lap Yuk cut into cubes
• 1 package sausage, cut into 1-inch
• Chop 1 head of cabbage into quarters, then ½
• 1 cup green beans (fresh or canned)
• 1 packet fried beef rind

Instruction:

1. Boil the beef rind once, then rinse and leave aside.
2. In a large pot, combine beef hocks and beef feet. Cover with water, and boil.
3. Until soft (typically about 2 hours).
4. Skim off any fat or debris that floats to the surface.
5. Sprinkle each side of the beef chops and chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
6. Add the meat chops to the pot.
7. When boiling, add the chicken.
8. Bring to a boil again, then add seasoned meat, lap Yuk, and sausages.
9. Finally, combine the cabbage, green beans, and beef rind.
10. Heat till boiling.
11. Serve with a crisp salad over steamed rice.

Now enjoy your yummy Tacho…..Cheers to Fusion Cooking!