Why deny yourself of a meaty, nutty stew filled with the most wondrous array of vegetables? Tons of Pinoys would probably stand by the fact that Kare-Kare is one of the best dishes out there. The smooth, velvety orange stew provides such a unique, lovable flavor that it has produced a great variety of spin-off dishes. You’ll even be able to find Kare-Kare-flavored fried chicken recipes! But today, I will be showing you a dish that doesn’t stray too far from the traditional recipe. Except for this one, we will be using a kicker type of meat that can really improve the texture of the dish. So what is Lengua Kare-Kare?
This, like your regular Kare-Kare, utilizes a thick, peanut stew. But to complement it, we use beef tongue instead of other beef cuts. Why? Well, because when cooked right, beef tongue or lengua can make for the most tender and satisfying ingredient. And you’ll only be better able to savor this alongside the tasty bok choy, eggplant and other vegetables.
Of course, to get it perfectly soft, we will need to put the work in with our pressure cooker. This will take some time, but the result is definitely incredible enough to inspire patience for every cooking process. Let’s waste no more time, and get to cooking then!
How to make Lengua Kare-Kare:
Pressure cooking the beef tongue:
We will start by pouring water into our pressure cooker, and then placing 4 lbs. Of beef tongue inside. Then pressure-cook this for a total of 45 minutes to get it tender. After that, take the beef tongue out, and let this cool. Now remove the skin from the tongue, and then slice them up into serving pieces.
Making the Kare-Kare stew:
For this step, we will start by steaming 1 Chinese eggplant, and 12 string beans we’ve cut up into 2-inch pieces. Keep steaming this for 10 minutes. At the same time, you can also steam your 2 bunches of bok choy, but only for 5 minutes.
As you wait, you could get started with creating the peanut-y paste by roasting ¾ cup of almonds and the same amount of peanuts in a pan. Keep this up until you see them turn brown. Then you should place the nuts in a food processor. Blitz until you achieve a paste-like consistency. And then set this aside.
We will now get a wok, and start heating up 4 tablespoons of annatto oil. This provides some color for our dish. Now add 5 cloves of garlic you’ve chopped, and 1 onion you’ve minced. Sauté these together until the onion gets soft.
Integrating the meat into the dish:
Now is the time for you to whip out your tender sliced beef tongue from earlier. We will also be sautéing this for 2 minutes. Now pour 32 ounces of beef broth into the wok, and then put the cover on. Wait for this to boil, and once it does, keep boiling for 10 minutes with low heat.
And you should also get the peanut and almond paste from earlier, and mix it in. Stir the mixture until the ingredients have blended perfectly. Then with the cover off, keep cooking for 7 minutes. Season this with some salt to your taste, then you can put everything on your serving bowl. Add the steamed vegetables as well, and then serve with some delicious bagoong alamang.
Good job with this Lengua Kare-Kare dish! That wasn’t too difficult, was it? If this has got you thinking about brushing up on your lengua and Kare-Kare cooking, let me introduce you to more recipes!
More recipes for you to try:
Lengua in Mushroom Sauce
If you can’t get enough of the succulent, tender lengua, you should definitely give this classic recipe a shot. Lengua in Mushroom Sauce has pretty much become a staple in events because it’s a sure crowd pleaser. The savory sauce tastes perfect alongside deliciously seasoned ox tongue. You’d surely want to serve this at your next gathering!
Pata Kare-Kare
You may already be familiar with Crispy Pata and the many pork leg dishes that we love to have as Filipinos. But why not try this tasty meat cut with the famous nutty stew? Pata Kare-Kare makes for a juicy, rich twist to the classic Kare-Kare. And we also boil and stew the pork pata to have a satisfyingly tender meat.
Chicken Kare-Kare sa Gata
And for a dish that brings the best of both worlds together— peanuts and coconut milk— you can try this yummy Chicken Kare-Kare sa Gata. It makes your classic Kare-Kare dish creamier, and a bit healthier with the use of chicken instead of red meat.
Let me know if you have any questions by commenting below! Share any tips with the community as well if you’ve got any!
Lengua Kare-Kare Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. beef tongue
- ¾ cups peanut
- ¾ cup almonds
- 2 bunches bok choy
- 1 Chinese eggplant
- 12 string beans cut in 2-inch pieces
- 1 onion minced
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 quarts water
- 32 ounces beef broth
- 4 tablespoons annatto oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pour water in a pressure cooker. Add ox tongue. Pressure-cook for 45 minutes. Remove the tongue afterwards and let it cool down. Take the skin off the tongue and then slice into serving pieces. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables by steaming the eggplant and string beans for 10 minutes. Steam the bok choy for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the peanuts and almonds by roasting on a pan until the color starts to turn brown. Put the nuts in a food processor and blitz until the mixture turns into a paste-like consistency. Set aside.
- Heat annatto oil on a wok. Sauté garlic and onion.
- Once the onion softens, add the sliced lengua. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Pour the beef broth into the wok. Cover and let boil. Continue boiling for 10 minutes in low heat setting.
- Add the peanut and almond paste. Stir until all ingredients are well blended. Continue cooking uncovered for 7 minutes. Season with salt.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and add the steamed vegetables. Serve with shrimp paste (bagoong alamang).
- Share and enjoy!
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