I think I might be good at making apritada so I decided to share my recipe. It’s sort of a hybrid between mechado and apritada, but who cares. It’s my recipe. I can do whatever I want with it.

Stewing beef
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp patis
1 roughly chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp peppercorns
kosher salt to taste
1/3 c bell pepper
1 potato, chopped into quarters and fried
1 pc. chorizo sausage, sliced and fried
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 c tomato sauce
1/3 c peas
olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Saute garlic, red pepper flakes and onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the vinegar. Brown the beef in the pot until the outside is nice and crispy and brown.
2. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaf, soy sauce, patis and tomato sauce. Add enough water to cover the meat. Simmer for about 1-2 hours, or until meat is tender. Keep adding water so it doesn’t go dry.
3. When the meat is tender, season to taste with kosher salt and crushed black peppercorns. Add green peppers, peas and chorizo, and cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Just before serving, add the fried potatoes and serve with steaming rice.

YEAH! yummm…i’m just drooling all over myself thinking about it. You can also substitute chicken thighs/wings or pork, but beef is less messy.