Kare kare is a dish composed of vegetables and beef parts (ox tail, knuckles and tripe) stewed in a thick peanut sauce. It is usually served during special occasions in the Philippines. It is one of the iconic dishes of Filipino cuisine.

Filipinos associate kare kare with festive celebrations. It is the highlight of many home cooked buffets and each family has their own take on the traditional recipe.

This dish is incomplete without a siding of good savory shrimp bagoong. You can cook your own if ingredients are available but bottled versions are usually sold at Asian stores. Make sure you buy the non-spicy variety.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 6 hours
Good for: 4 – 5 people

Ingredients

• 1.5 kilograms Ox tail or Beef knuckles, chopped.
• 1 cup roasted peanuts, ground to a paste
• 2 tablespoon roasted uncooked rice, ground to a fine powder
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• ½ cup minced onions
• 1 piece medium sized carrot, whole
• ½ cup annatto extract (achuete)
• 2 tablespoons salt
• ½ tablespoon
• 200 grams eggplant sliced diagonally into 3 cm sized pieces
• 200 grams string beans sliced into 3 cm long pieces
• 200 grams bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
• 200 grams sliced fresh banana heart (optional)
• 1 cup sautéed shrimp paste for siding, bottled versions available at Asian stores

Kare Kare

Method

Wash chopped beef thoroughly, scrub clean any remaining dirt and hair.

Let Beef pieces boil for 3 minutes in high heat then discard the water.

Place beef, carrot and salt in a thick casserole or pot and fill with water.

Simmer beef pieces in a thick pot for 4-5 hours or until meat falls off the bone. There should be enough water to cover all pieces. Add water as needed to maintain the amount to the initial level.

Once beef is tender, set it aside and then strain and save 5 cups of the resulting stock.

Sautee onion and garlic until onions start to sweat.

Add beef pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Stir constantly.

Lower heat and add beef broth.

Once mixture starts to simmer, add peanut paste. Stir and ensure that it is dissolved completely.

Add rice powder to ¼ cup cold water and stir until dissolved. Add this mixture to simmering stew.

Add annatto extract. Stir until complete mixed into the broth.

Simmer for 5 minutes. Add more stock if needed to reach preferred consistency.

Place eggplant, banana heart and string beans on top of simmering stew. Cover and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Stir mixture and ensure vegetables are mixed in the sauce. Add the bok choy and cover for another 2 minutes.

Turn off heat once bok choy is cooked.

Serve with rice and a sautéed shrimp paste on the side.

Kare Kare