Beef Kare-Kare: A Classic Heirloom Recipe

Kare-Kare : A Classic Heirloom Recipe

Kare-kare is one of a Classic Filipino dish; -- the only dish in the Philippines that uses pasty peanut butter as base-sauce, mixed with the beef broth, topped with locally sourced vegetables such as, eggplant, string beans, pechay and young banana flower bud and bagoong alamang.

This dish usually takes time to create, but it will surely hit the spot with every spoonful bite. If you want to try, follow this recipe:  

Ingredients:

• 500g E&L Beef Tripe
• 500g E&L Beef Cubes (or 500g E&L Beef Strips if you like)
• 1kg oxtail, sliced
• 1 piece small banana flower bud, sliced
• 1 bundle pechay
• 1 bundle string beans cut into 2 inch slices
• 3 pieces eggplants, sliced
• 1 cup ground peanut sauce
• 34 Ounces water about 1 Liter
• 1/2 cup annatto seeds soaked in a cup of water
• 1/2 cup toasted ground rice
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 piece onion chopped
• salt and pepper
• Shrimp Paste Sauce:
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1pc onion, minced
  • 500g pork liempo
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup shrimp paste
  • 2 tbsp calamamsi juice

 Instruction:

1. Make annatto water:
   1. Boil water in a pot or kettle. Add annatto seeds and steep for 20 minutes.
   2. Strain through a sieve and set aside.
2. Make peanut butter:
   1. Add raw peanuts to a pan over medium-high heat. Toss and toast until the peanuts' edges are brown.
   2. Transfer peanuts to the bowl of a food processor and blend until gritty. Add oil and a pinch of salt, and blend again until smooth. Set aside.
3. Toast rice flour:
   1. Add rice flour to the same pan. Toast flour over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Cook the Meat
   1. Prepare tripe: Rinse the Beef Tripe thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clear.
      1. Place the tripe in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Set pot over medium-high heat and boil for 15–20 minutes in pressure cooker. Drain and set aside.
   2. Sear shank and oxtail: Heat large pot over high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom.
      1. Once the oil starts to smoke, add beef meat and oxtail. (Work in batches if using a small pot.) Sear until a crust forms
      2. flip meat to brown the other side, every 2 minutes. Remove meat from pot and set aside.
   3. Make the kare-kare:
      1. Lower heat to medium and add onions. Cook, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent.
      2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2–4 minutes total.
      3. Add annatto water to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
      4. Add cubes or strips, oxtail, and tripe. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low until simmering. Let meat soften for 2 ½ hours.
   4. Prepare banana heart:
      1. 30 minutes before the meat is done, prepare the banana heart by peeling off the outer layer. Continue peeling until you reach the tender, yellow-colored part.
      2. Slice the banana heart into quarters and gently pull it apart.
      3. Soak banana heart in a bowl with salted cold water for 10–15 minutes.
   5. Add peanut butter sauce:
      1. Once meat is fork-tender, add homemade peanut butter. Season with salt to taste.
      2. Add slurry: Combine rice flour and 5 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Mix until well combined to create a slurry. Stir in slurry into the pot.
   6. Cook vegetables:
      1. Add banana heart and cook for 7–10 minutes. Add eggplant, string beans, and pechay just before finishing to prevent overcooking.
   7. Make the Shrimp Alamang paste:
      1. Saute Pork Liempo in 4tbsps of oil and release its natural oil, then add the garlic and onion.
      2. Add the uncooked shrimp paste and mix it well. Let it cook and simmer for 10mins in medium-high heat to let the oil steep in to the shrimp paste.
      3. Once fully incorporated and cooked, add 2tbsp of calamansi juice to omit the smell of the bagoong.
      4. When done, have it cooled and set aside.
   8. Season to taste before serving hot.