How to Cook Kare Kare

This is a recipe post on How to Cook Kare-kare using oxtail and beef tripe. I consider this a special version. This is a perfect dish to make for Noche Buena. In fact, this is how I will make it for Christmas this year. I will also add extra beef slices to make it more festive.

Versions and Variations of Kare-kare

Kare kare has always been a favorite Filipino dish throughout the years. This dish has countless versions and so many variations that range from beef to seafood.

Beef Kare-kare – This is a version that makes use of beef. I prefer using beef chuck when making this version because of its fat content. It is also flavorful.

Oxtail Kare-kare – A type of beef kare-kare that makes-use of oxtail. This is a staple in our household on special occasions.

Pork Pata Kare-kare – Pork leg and hock can also be used to cook this dish. I usually cook this with my family during weekends. It is always fun to cook together with the entire family. You get to enjoy the food that everyone helped prepare while strengthening the bond with each other.

Seafood Kare-kare – This is a variation for seafood lovers. It is composed of crab, shrimp, squid, and mussels. A must try for the curious. I love its delicious taste.

Chicken Kare- kare – This is an uncommon variation that deserves to be noticed. It is quicker and easier to make, and tastes wonderful.

Procedure in Cooking Kare-kare (Oxtail and Beef Tripe Stew in Peanut Sauce)

There are two main procedures in this kare-kare recipe. First is the preparation of the meat components, which includes oxtail and trip. The second procedure is the sauce preparation.

I prepared the oxtail and beef tripe by boiling it for around 20 minutes. This step, which I call the initial boil, helps gets rid of impurities. The water used to boil the meat needs to be discarded and replaced with a quart of fresh water. I then pressure cook it for 25 minutes and set it aside.

The sauce is then prepared by sauteing onion and garlic in a large pot. Next is to pour the stock. This is the liquid used to pressure cook the meat. The peanut sauce won’t be complete without a peanut component. I used peanut butter for this recipe. Add annatto water afterwards. This ingredient provides color to the sauce. It is made by soaking annatto seeds with hot water and stirring until the reddish color is extracted from the seed. I also add a piece of Knorr beef cube to provide a solid beef flavor into the sauce.

The next thing that I do is add the oxtail and beef tripe into the peanut sauce. We do not need to cook these long because these are already tender. The sauce can be thickened further by combining cornstarch with water and adding the mixture into the sauce. Add the vegetables, cook for 5 to 7 minutes, and you are done.

Tips

It is ideal to boil oxtail and tripe until all impurities float. These will be in the form of scum. Simply discard the liquid used during the initial boil.

Using a pressure cooker will cut your cooking time by 70 percent. It makes your cooking process quicker and convenient.

Peanut butter is the most convenient ingredient to use for the peanut sauce. However, you can also use fresh peanuts. The peanuts will need to be crushed until it turns into powder. Using a food processor after crushing the peanuts helps make it finer.

It is good to have all the vegetable ingredients on hand before cooking kare-kare. However, you can still make the dish with only 1 or two vegetables depending on availability. Focus of the quality of the meat and consistency of the sauce. The meat should be very tender. The sauce must be thick enough and tasty.

Best way to Enjoy Eating Kare Kare

Enjoy your kare-kare with warm white rice and bagoong alamang guisado. The latter refers to sauteed fermented shrimp paste. It is the perfect condiment for the dish.

Scoop some rice with your spoon and add a portion of kare-kare meat and peanut sauce on it. Place a small amount of bagoong alamang on top and eat everything at the same time.

Try this method on How to Cook Kare-kare. Let me know how you liked it.