Kare-kare Recipe

Clean and Blanch (optional)

Rinse the oxtail or beef shanks under cold water. To remove impurities and get a clearer broth, place the meat in a pot, cover with water, bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes, then drain and discard the blanching water. Rinse the meat and pot briefly.

Simmer Beef

Return the blanched meat to a large pot and add 8 cups fresh water, the quartered onion, smashed garlic, peppercorns, and 1.5 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Skim any scum that rises to the surface every 10–15 minutes. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 2.5 hours until meat is fork-tender and beginning to separate from the bone. (If using a pressure cooker, cook at high pressure for 45–50 minutes and allow natural release.)

Prepare vegetables while the beef simmers: cut eggplants into 2-inch pieces and keep them in water to minimize browning; trim string beans into 2-inch lengths; separate and wash bok choy or pechay; if using banana blossoms, soak in water with a little salt and squeeze out excess liquid.

About 15 minutes before the beef finishes cooking, blanch the string beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then plunge into cold water and set aside. Blanch eggplant for 1–2 minutes (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Blanch bok choy for 30–45 seconds just to wilt and set aside. Keep all vegetables warm until ready to assemble.

Make Annatto Oil

Place 1 tbs of annatto seeds in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer for 3–4 minutes to extract color. Strain seeds and reserve the colored liquid. In a small skillet, heat 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium heat and add the strained annatto liquid (careful: it may splatter). Warm briefly, then remove from heat. Alternatively, steep annatto seeds in oil: add seeds to hot oil for 1–2 minutes until oil turns reddish, then strain. Reserve annatto oil for the sauce.

Combine Peanut Sauce

In a bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup water (or reserved beef broth), 1/2 cup ground toasted rice, 2 tbs fish sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add broth by tablespoonfuls until pourable but still thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Finish Sauce in Pot

When the beef is tender, remove the meat from the pot and set it on a cutting board. Strain the broth into a clean pot (reserve solids for later if desired) and measure out about 3 cups of broth to use for the sauce. Return the cut meat (sliced into bite-sized pieces) to the clean pot with the measured broth and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir the peanut mixture into the simmering broth. Add the reserved annatto oil (about 1–2 tbs) and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 6–10 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup more broth or water. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra fish sauce or salt as needed.

If you used toasted rice kernels instead of flour, you can cook them directly in the sauce: mix ground toasted rice with a little cold water to make a slurry before stirring in, to avoid lumps.

Add the blanched vegetables to the simmering peanut sauce in the following order: string beans first (they take slightly longer), then eggplant, and finally the bok choy or pechay. Gently stir to coat vegetables and heat through for 2–3 minutes; do not overcook the vegetables.

Transfer kare-kare to a serving dish. Serve hot with a small bowl of bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste) on the side and calamansi or lime wedges. Encourage diners to add bagoong to taste — traditionally served separately so each person can season their own portion.

Leftovers: refrigerate sauce and meat separately from vegetables for best texture. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.