Kare Kare, in short, is a Filipino dish in which meat is stewed with peanut sauce that has been thickened with ground toasted rice. It is traditionally made with oxtails, but I changed it up by using bone-in short ribs, which I am a huge fan of. Eggplant, long beans, and sometimes bok choy are added at the end. Banana flower is another traditional ingredient in Kare Kare, but it can be hard to find, so I usually just omit it. I would not, however, omit the shrimp paste. I mean, you can, but you won’t be taking part in the full experience. Most recipes call for cooking some of the shrimp paste into the stew, but I prefer to serve it on the side, adding a little bit to each bite.
This recipe is quite the process (a two-day one if you’re not rushing it), but totally worth it. It’s become one of my favorite Filipino dishes!
Serves 8
Ingredients
3 lbs bone-in short ribs
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup white rice
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup canola oil
1.5 Tbsp annatto powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 Japanese eggplants, cut into 1-inch slices
1 bundle long beans, cut into 5-inch pieces
8 oz. baby bok choy, washed stems trimmed
Shrimp paste (Bagoong)
Directions
The day before:
Place the short ribs into a large Dutch oven with enough water to cover the meat. Boil for 10 minutes. Discard the water, and refill with new water, again enough to cover the meat. Add the onions, salt, and peppercorns to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 90 minutes. Uncover, remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The day of:
Skim the fat solids off the top of the broth and discard. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. Strain the broth into another container. Clean and dry the Dutch oven.
Toast the rice in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown. Transfer to a food processor and pulse into a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a bowl and set aside.
Pulse the peanuts in the food processor until creamy. Set aside.
In the Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the annatto powder and stir. Sauté the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the short ribs and sauté for a few minutes. Add 4 cups of the broth and 3 Tbsp of fish sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Save/freeze any remaining broth for future use.)
Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in another pot. Blanch the eggplant for 1 minute, and use a slotted spoon to remove to a large bowl. Blanch the long beans in the same water for 1 minute and remove to the same bowl. Finally, blanch the bok choy for 30 seconds and remove to the bowl.
After the meat and broth have simmered together for 30 minutes, add the toasted rice powder and stir until thick. Add the peanut paste and stir until creamy. Add the blanched vegetables on top.
Serve with rice and shrimp paste on the side for added flavor and salt.
Visuals
Beautiful bone-in short ribs.
Place the short ribs into a large Dutch oven and fill with enough cold water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes, then discard the water.
Fill with new water, again enough to cover. Add the onions, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then maintain a gentle simmer for 90 minutes, covered.
After cooling and refrigerating overnight, the fat will have solidified on top. Discard the fat solids. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. Strain the broth into a separate container and set aside.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in the Dutch oven. Add 1.5 Tbsp annatto powder to the oil. (This is mainly for color.)
Sauté the garlic in the annatto oil.
Add the short ribs and sauté another few minutes. Then, add 4 cups of the broth and 3 Tbsp of fish sauce to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the rice in a small dry skillet until golden brown. Grind to a fine powder using a food processor.
Remove the powdered rice from the food processor and set aside. Grind the roasted peanuts in the food processor until creamy.
Wash and prep your eggplant, bok choy, and long beans.
Add the ground rice to the pot and stir until thickened. Then, add the peanut paste and continue stirring until creamy.
Place the blanched vegetables on top of the stew.
Don't forget to serve it with the shrimp paste! I like to add a little of it in each bite versus stirring it all together.
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