Oxtail and vegetables braised in a rich, thick peanut sauce, a distinctive Filipino stew traditionally served with fermented shrimp paste.
Kare-kare stands apart from most Filipino stews with its thick, nutty peanut-based sauce, often colored with toasted rice or annatto seeds, giving the dish its signature golden-brown hue. Oxtail braises for hours until it becomes completely tender, the collagen breaking down into the sauce and adding body alongside the ground peanuts, before eggplant, long beans and bok choy are stirred in near the end. Almost always served with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) spooned on the side, kare-kare's rich, mild peanut sauce is meant to be punctuated by small amounts of the intensely salty, funky condiment stirred in bite by bite.
Serves 6
Combine oxtail, water and onion in a large pot; bring to a boil, skim foam, then reduce heat and simmer 2.5-3 hours until very tender.
Remove the oxtail and reserve 4 cups of the cooking broth.
Heat oil in a wide pot and cook garlic until fragrant, then stir in ground peanuts, toasted rice flour and annatto powder.
Gradually whisk in the reserved broth, stirring until smooth and thickened.
Whisk the toasted rice flour and peanuts into the broth gradually to avoid lumps — a smooth sauce is essential to kare-kare's signature texture.
Return the oxtail to the pot, season with salt, and simmer 15 minutes.
Add eggplant and long beans, simmering 8-10 minutes, then add bok choy for the final 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with rice and bagoong on the side for stirring in.
Whisk the peanut and toasted rice flour mixture into the broth gradually to avoid lumps in the final sauce.
Braise the oxtail long enough that it's truly falling-apart tender, since this collagen-rich cut needs real time.
Serve with bagoong on the side rather than mixed in, letting each diner add their preferred amount of its intense, salty flavor.
Oxtail can be substituted with pork hocks or beef shank for a different but equally traditional result.
A vegetarian version uses extra vegetables and mushrooms instead of oxtail.
Adding banana blossom (puso ng saging) is a traditional regional addition.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; the sauce thickens further when chilled, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
Kare-kare's exact origins are debated, with some tracing its peanut-based sauce to Indian or Malay influence via trade, and it remains one of the Philippines' most distinctive stews, particularly associated with special occasions and family gatherings.
Toast raw rice in a dry pan until golden, then grind it finely in a spice grinder as a homemade substitute.
Yes, natural peanut butter works well as a shortcut, giving a smooth, though slightly less textured, sauce.
It's Filipino fermented shrimp paste, intensely salty and savory, traditionally stirred into kare-kare bite by bite to punctuate the mild, nutty sauce with bursts of umami.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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