Meat Dish

Considered probably the most popular and "noble" Brazilian beef cut, maminha is a beef cut from Brazil that best corresponds to the mix of the US flank and bottom sirloin. However, some sources will also say it corresponds to the US tri-tip cut. In any case, it is a very versatile cut, and in Brazil and South American countries, it is typically barbecued but can also be roasted whole, cubed and stewed, or cut into steaks and pan-fried. Also, besides being versatile, it is one of the leanest beef cuts as well, which is why it got the title "the fil&eacute; mignon for the grill", meaning it's lean and tender as the fil&eacute; but suitable for grilling. Maminha should be grilled only until medium done, or it will turn tough. But no matter how it's prepared, maminha should always be cut against the grain so it's more tender and easier to eat. In North America, if maminha is unavailable, bottom round roast and bottom round steak can be used instead. The first is for roasting whole or in stews, while the other is for grilling.

Maminha

Mexico

Mancha manteles is a unique Mexican stew made with a variety of meat, vegetables, fruits, and chili peppers. The name of the dish means tablecloth stainer, possibly referring to the fact that it is so delicious, so people will consume it fast and stain the tablecloth in the process. Most recipes for mancha manteles call for tomatoes, pineapple, apples, pears, almonds, onions, pork, turkey, and chorizo. Serve this unusual stew with white rice and warm tortillas for the best experience.

Mancha manteles

Yemen

Mandi is Yemen's national dish (also popular in Saudi Arabia), consisting of lamb or chicken meat, fragrant basmati rice and a mixture of various spices. If lamb is used in the dish, it should be small-sized and as young as possible, to further enhance the flavors. To make mandi, the meat should be cooked in the tandoor, a specially designed hole in the ground covered with clay and charcoal, acting as an oven for the suspended meat above it. It is then closed and no smoke is allowed to go outside as it flavors the meat instead. When the meat is tender and juicy, it is served with rice and accompaniments such as salads, yogurt, and spicy tomato chutneys. Beloved in all of the Arabian Peninsula, mandi is often served for special events, such as feasts and weddings.

Mandi

Brazil

A specialty dish from the Brazilian regions of Par&aacute; and Bahia, mani&ccedil;oba is a part of the feijoada family of Brazilian dishes. In addition to dried meat, salted pork, bacon, and sausages, chopped cassava leaves are used instead of beans which are commonly used in a traditional feijoada. One must be extra careful when preparing the dish due to the toxic cyanides found in cassava leaves, which is why they need to be ground and boiled for at least one week in order to remove the toxins. Since it is a lengthy process, mani&ccedil;oba is mostly prepared for festivities and religious celebrations, when it's consumed by large groups of people. In Bahia, peppers and farofa are often added to the dish, while in Par&aacute;, the usual accompaniment is white rice.

Maniçoba

Manisa kebap is a dish of grilled meat patties made with ground lamb and beef, seasoned with salt and spices. The kebabs are served on a bed of pita, which absorbs the flavorful meat juices and are topped with a rich tomato-based sauce. Accompaniments typically include grilled green peppers, tomatoes, and a side of creamy yogurt, with a drizzle of melted butter for added richness. The dish offers a delightful combination of juicy, spiced meat, fresh grilled vegetables, and tangy yogurt, all brought together by the soft, sauce-soaked bread. Manisa kebap is a beloved part of Aegean Turkish cuisine, often enjoyed in local restaurants or at special gatherings.

Manisa kebap

Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan (with origins traced back to Syria) that plays a key role in all celebrations and festivals in the country. The meat is slowly cooked in fermented, yogurt-like goat's milk called jameed, resulting in a unique dish that is not just a meal, but a social tradition. Mansaf, an Arabic word for explosion, is commonly offered to guests as a sign of appreciation, value, and respect. It can be made with goat, beef, or chicken meat, where goat signifies the highest level of respect and value, and chicken the least, so beef or chicken is rarely to be seen in Mansaf. Traditionally, cooked goat's head will be placed in the center and offered to the most important guests at an event. Mansaf is served on a large platter over rice and khubz flatbread, garnished with almonds and pine nuts. Guests eat the dish communally, with their right hand, while the left hand is placed behind their back. The host must continually cover the rice with cooked yogurt sauce, ensuring that the guests don't complain about lack of hospitality. Mansaf is also significant in resolving conflicts between tribes or families, when the heads of each tribe visit one another, sacrifice a goat to cook the dish, then offer it as an act of peace and respect, eating the dish together as a way of marking the end of a conflict.

Mansaf

Italy

Manzo alla California is a traditional dish originating from California, a small town in Lombardy. The dish is made with a combination of beef, pancetta, onions, meat stock, heavy cream, red wine vinegar, and butter. The beef is larded with pancetta strips and it's then browned in butter with the sliced onions. Vinegar is poured into the pan and cooked until it evaporates, while the stock and half of the cream are added later. The dish is simmered for a few hours, mixed with the rest of the cream, and stirred to incorporate the pan juices into the sauce. The meat is sliced, arranged on a plate, and the sauce is spooned over the meat just before serving.

Manzo alla California

Manzo all'aceto is a traditional dish originating from Lombardy. It's made with a combination of beef round, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and capers. The meat, olive oil, and vinegar are seasoned with salt and pepper and simmered over low heat until the meat becomes tender. It is then sliced and placed in overlapping slices on a heated plate. A spoonful of pan juices is then poured over the meat in order to keep it juicy, and it's finished with a topping of capers. The dish can be eaten hot or cold, and in the past it was a favorite among the working classes of Milano. It's recommended to serve manzo all'aceto with mashed potatoes on the side.

Manzo all'aceto

Manzo al limone is a traditional dish originating from Lombardy. The dish is made with a combination of beef, butter, lemons, olive oil, salt, pepper, and stock. The meat is rubbed with lemon slices, and half of them are reserved, while the other half is placed on the bottom of the pot. The beef is placed on top of the slices and it's then topped with the rest of the lemon slices. The pot is refrigerated for 3 days, and the meat should be turned every day. It is then dried, placed into a baking dish, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked in the oven until tender. The marinade is combined with stock, which is used to baste the meat as it cooks. Once done, the meat is sliced, arranged in overlapping sliced on a heated plate, and topped with the gravy consisting of pan juices and lemon juice. It's recommended to serve manzo al limone with green vegetables such as broccoli or green beans on the side.

Manzo al limone

Manzo all'olio (lit. beef in oil) is an ancient Italian dish hailing from the city of Rovato. It consists of beef (rump or priest's hat), olive oil, breadcrumbs, white wine, garlic, parsley, rosemary, anchovies, and vegetables. The dish is highly prized and there are many variations, from cook to cook and family to family. What's important is that the meat should be quickly seared first in order to trap the juices on the inside, and it's then slowly cooked to remain tender. Manzo all'olio dates back to the 16th century, when the recipe was noted down by Donna Veronica Porcellaga, a noblewoman. It's recommended to serve the dish with polenta on the side.

Manzo all'olio

Australia

Boil-up is a unique Māori technique of preparing meat and vegetables by boiling them in a large pot filled with water. The choice of meat can be anything from pork, beef, and chicken to goat and lamb, but it should be cut into large chunks. Typical vegetables include watercress, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and sweet potatoes known as kumara. When served, boil-up looks like a thick soup or a thin stew.

Māori Boil-Up

Greece

Maouri or mouri is the name of a traditional lidded clay dish or pot for baking, and the meat delicacy that&rsquo;s cooked in it. The dish consists of a whole lamb or goat kid that is typically sprinkled generously with salt and pepper and slathered all over with fresh butter before it is stuffed with a combination of chopped lamb&rsquo;s liver, rice, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and red wine. The mixture is usually flavored with aromatic herbs and spices such as bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, spearmint, rosemary, allspice, oregano, dill, and pepper. Other common ingredients contained in the filling include pine nuts, currants, eggs, cheese, and ground meat. Once stuffed, the animal is placed in the clay pot, covered with a lid, and allowed to cook in a traditional wood-fired oven for many hours. Traditionally, the pot is sealed with dough or mud in order to trap the heat and aromas inside, resulting in incredibly succulent, tender, and flavorful meat. Another interesting fact about this specialty is that people used to seal up the whole oven with bricks and mud to ensure no smoke or odor would come out of the pot. This practice is believed to have arisen out of the necessity for the islanders to hide their food from the invading Turks and pirates. On Kalymnos, this meat delicacy is customarily prepared and served on Easter. Similar dishes with slight variations are also enjoyed throughout the rest of the Dodecanese Islands.

Maouri

Portugal

Maranho is a traditional dish hailing from Sert&atilde; in the region of Beira Baixa. It's made with a combination of goat meat, chouri&ccedil;o, dry-cured ham, rice, and mint. The ingredients are combined and sewn into a goat stomach. It is believed that the dish dates back to the 19th century, although some think that it existed even earlier. Throughout the 20th century, it was a staple celebratory dish that was prepared on feast days, both for the rich and the poor, but from the 1980s, maranho could be seen on the menus of local eateries. Nowadays, maranho is often served with potatoes and homemade bread on the side, and it's often prepared during the festive Christmas period.

Maranho

Austria

On St. Martin&rsquo;s Day, November 11, stuffed goose is prepared as a traditional dish throughout Austria. The dish has many variations, but the goose is typically stuffed with chestnuts and dried plums, then roasted. When served, it is traditionally accompanied by red cabbage, potatoes, or kn&ouml;del dumplings. Martinigans is sometimes drizzled over with a gravy made with a combination of stock (made from giblets) and pan drippings.

Martinigans

Croatia

Martinjska guska s marunima is a specialty of the Croatian region of Zagorje, utilizing goose and chestnuts as its main ingredients. The goose is traditionally stuffed with a combination of roasted chestnuts, bacon, onions, moistened bread, eggs, salt, and pepper. It is then baked in an oven for about 3 hours. The dish is typically served with side dishes such as potato dumplings and a salad made with red cabbage and apples. It is especially popular during the feast of St Martin, called Martinje (related to the christening of wine must), celebrated every year on November 11, so the dish is always accompanied by a few glasses of wine.

Martinjska guska s marunima

Malaysia

Masak lemak is a vibrant yellow Malaysian curry with a supposed origin in Negeri Sembilan. The dish can be prepared with various proteins such as chicken (ayam), fish (ikan), daging (beef), or seafood, but the base is always the same &ndash; a creamy, incredibly flavorful, and spicy combination of turmeric, coconut milk, and various other herbs and spices. The dish is also known as masak lemak cili api (padi), in which the last two words refer to the use of chilies in the dish. Masak lemak is enjoyed throughout Malaysia and it is usually served accompanied by sambal, rice, and raw vegetables (ulam).

Masak lemak

This traditional Afghan winter dish is made with chickpeas, short-grained rice, and salted, sun-dried mutton called lahndi, all simmered together in an aromatic broth flavored with onions, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and mint. Narenj or bitter orange peel and hot peppers are added towards the end of cooking which makes this sticky rice dish particularly fragrant and quite spicy. Mastawa can also be prepared with other types of dried meat like the Afghan gosht-e-qaqh, whereas the final touch comes from adding quroot, a type of Afghan cheese made from strained, salted, and dried yogurt - the one ingredient for which there are no proper substitutes.

Mastawa

Matambre a la pizza is a meat dish originating from Argentina, made with matambre flank steak that's marinated in milk and grilled on one side, and then turned over to grill on the other side, while the already-grilled side is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and tomato slices. The toppings may vary, so the dish can be enriched with olives, ham, or roasted red peppers. Once done, matambre a la pizza is usually served sliced just like a pizza. It's typically accompanied by grilled bread, french fries, or mashed potatoes and a green salad on the side.

Matambre a la pizza

Matazeez is a traditional Arabian dish consisting of flat dumplings that are cooked and served in a rich stew of meat, vegetables, tomato sauce, and spices. The dough is typically made by combining whole-wheat flour, water, salt, and oil, and it is then cut into flattened circles. Lamb is the most common choice of meat for the stew, while the combination of vegetables may include cauliflowers, eggplants, carrots, pumpkins, zucchinis, tomatoes, and onions. A mix of spices such as cumin, cinnamon, loomi (dried limes), bahar spice blend, and black pepper is often added to the dish for extra flavor. Although it is similar to margoog (also marqooq, another pasta-like specialty), matazeez is usually less soupy in consistency as it usually soaks up all of the flavorful juices. This dish is mostly consumed in the central and eastern regions of the country, and it is often sprinkled with fresh coriander before serving.

Matazeez

Mathroobi is a popular Qatari dish consisting of chicken drenched in a rich, creamy porridge made with wheat, onions, tomatoes, ghee, and various spices. The dish is traditionally prepared and consumed as a special treat while breaking the fast of Ramadan. Although it doesn't look especially appetizing, its bold flavors make it a real delicacy.