Kare Kare is one of my favorite Filipino dishes. Actually it's one of my favorite dishes period. It's a beef stew w/ an assortment of veggies made with peanuts, peanut & rice flour, and yes....PEANUT BUTTER. I was always afraid to try making this on my own because it does require a lot of time and effort. Creating the thick luscious peanut sauce that makes this dish what it is takes more than just opening a jar of Jiffy.
If you do have the time, 100% made from scratch is best of course, but I recently learned how to make the easy, quick version and it's parent approved (they make the best Kare-Kare!), so I'm quite proud haha. With a little help from "Mama Sita", this version is pretty much fool proof and quite honestly, it tastes just as amazing.
- 2-3 lbs beef (preferably cross cut shank)- 3 tbsp canola or peanut oil- 1 lb pechay or bok choy sliced 1 inch pieces- 2 eggplants sliced 1 inch pieces- 1 lb sitaw or green beans sliced 1 inch pieces- 1 package of Mama Sita Peanut Mix Seasoning- 1-2 C peanut butter- 1 Quart of water- salt to taste
Plan A. Pressure cook the beef until tender (about 20-25 minutes)
Plan B. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can slow cook beef in a regular pot over the stove top. First brown beef on both sides to seal in juices. Submerge beef in water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to VERY LOW, and cook until beef is super tender (4-6 hours)
CHEAT STEP. In a separate bowl, prepare Mama Sita Peanut Mix Seasoning according to package instructions. Set aside.In the same pot as beef, add in vegetables, water, peanut butter, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, add cooked beef chunks and peanut seasoning mix, and continue to simmer until vegetables are cooked, but not mushy. Season to taste.Best served with rice and bagoong/alamang or shrimp paste.
FEAST ON
I have never done any dishes with peanut butter but we over here have a sauce made from peanut for our charcoal grilled meat called Satay.
ReplyDeleteLove that outcome with the lovely color and I have seen quite a bit of this recipe on my fellow Filipino bloggers. Must be a popular dish coming from Philippines.
I never had peanut butter in soup before but since I love peanut butter I'm absolutely certain I would love this as well! I wish I could taste it!
ReplyDeleteI'm always game for new recipes with new ideas..peanut butter in a soup? hmm..worth trying and finding out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting. You have a lovely space as well
ReplyDeleteYour kare-kare looks delicious! Who would have thought that you got help from Mama Sita? :) I've used a lot of that too when I was just learning how to cook.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great recipe and pictures you have I am going to try this. Do you ever cook adobo dishes?
ReplyDeleteI am mainly cooking bbq and thai cusine having lived in asia in the 1980s spending alot of time in thailand will look into visiting the phillipines next
best wishes
alan
Hi alan! yes, I do cook filipino adobo and have a recipe. I thought I posted a recipe, but I checked and I guess I haven't yet. I will make sure to post it and let you know :)
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