Beef Kare-Kare Recipe
Filipino peanut stew with tender beef and vegetables in a thick, savory peanut sauce.
Servings 8
Calories 565kcal
Cost $15-$17
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot
- Small pot (for blanching vegetables)
- Frying pan (for eggplant)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef shank cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon annatto powder dissolved in warm water
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup fried or roasted peanuts coarsely ground
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or rice flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- 8 ounces yardlong beans cut into sections
- 8 ounces bok choy cut in half, if big
- 1 pound eggplant cut into thick slices
- Sautéed shrimp paste (ginisang bagoong alamang)
- Salt and pepper
- Neutral oil
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the beef shank, then season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the beef in oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Sauté the garlic and onion until softened.
- Add the beef back in with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, skim off the scum and fat, then season with salt. Cover and simmer until tender, about 2 hours.
- Blanch the sitaw until crisp-tender, then transfer to an ice bath and drain.
- Blanch the bok choy until wilted, then transfer to an ice bath and drain.
- Fry the eggplant until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
- Once the beef is tender, add the annatto.
- Add the peanut butter, ground peanuts, and sugar. Stir until smooth, then thicken with slurry. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Add the vegetables, then turn off the heat.
Video
Notes
- Beef shank: Beef chuck also works. Oxtail is traditional but can be fatty and pricey.
- Annatto: Gives kare-kare its yellow-orange color. Use annatto powder dissolved in warm water, or warm water steeped with annatto seeds.
- Peanuts: I used ground roasted peanuts and creamy peanut butter for a thicker sauce with more texture.
- Sitaw: Green beans or string beans also work.
- Bok choy: Use Shanghai bok choy, regular bok choy, or pechay.
- Eggplant: Use Japanese or Chinese eggplant.
- Other vegetables: You can also add puso ng saging, napa cabbage, or okra.
- Bagoong: Use sautéed bagoong alamang, not the pink raw kind. Serve on the side.
- Sear the beef first for more flavor.
- Cook until really tender so the connective tissue softens.
- Skim off scum and excess fat for a cleaner sauce.
- Add vegetables at the end so they do not overcook.
- Add bagoong little by little because it is very salty.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 961mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1476IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 4mg