Hi, I’m Krizell, a third culture kid and second-generation Filipino American. I’m passionate about preserving our Filipino heritage through food and hope you give these recipes a try!
Krizell
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October 30, 2024
If you’re looking for a cozy and comforting dish, you can’t go wrong with kare kare. This Filipino stew features oxtail and various vegetables cooked in a thick and savory peanut sauce. It’s best enjoyed with a spoonful of bagoong and some hot white rice. I love pan frying half of the veggies and throwing the rest into the pot for different textures. The key is to boil the oxtail long enough so it’s tender and all the flavor comes through in the broth.
Parboil the oxtail: Place the oxtail (2 lb) in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Strain the oxtail and discard the liquid.
In the same large pot, brown the oxtail until golden brown and fat renders out.
Remove the oxtail from the pot, then add onions (1 medium) and garlic (6 cloves) to the rendered fat/oil from the oxtail. Saute until soft and aromatic, about 2-4 minutes.
Return oxtail back to pot. Mix well. Add in 1 Tbsp fish sauce.
Next, add in water. Once boiling, reduce to a medium simmer, cover, and let cook until oxtails are soft and fork tender, approximately 1.5-2 hours. Water will evaporate by half.
Add annatto powder (1 ½ Tbsp) & peanut butter (¾ cup). Mix well to combine.
Add in toasted rice powder (¼ cup) or cornstarch and let simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking. Add in remainder of fish sauce. You can also add bagoong at this point for a deeper flavor.
Add in the eggplant (1–2), long green beans (1 bunch), and baby bok choy (6)! Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Mix well.
Serve with white rice and bagoong on the side.
To ensure that this dish stays savory, its best to use a peanut butter that isn’t very sweet. I like Skippies (not sponsored).
This sauce is thickened with toasted rice powder. Using cornstarch is an alternative to toasting the rice and grinding it yourself. Rice flour is my preferred way to thicken the sauce as it gives it this nice nutty flavor, but cornstarch also works. You can make rice flour by toasting it in a skillet over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Place in a grinder or pestle and process until smooth.
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