My Love For Kare Kare

http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/crisostomo-our-namesake-with-the-best-kare-kare-fid-1233056

I'm not so fond with the roasted peanuts seasoned with salt or even the sugar-coated, but when it comes to main courses, peanut sauce is my superstar. In Bob's Restaurant for example, no one can beat their sate babe with sate rice. What I would usually do is order an extra batch of their peanut sauce and instantly I'm in heaven.

My other great love would be Kare Kare. It's also known as the Philippine Stew and is very popular in almost every fiesta at the Pampanga area. This dish features oxtail, paired with string beans, eggplant and pechay. But the lead role goes to the peanut sauce and its sidekick bagoong. Without this two, Kare Kare would be a no go.

In my early cooking days, I would haunt recipe books to find the easiest way to cook Kare Kare and I just gave up because of its seemingly complex process. 

www.filipinofoodrecipes.net shared a very good kare kare.

Kare Kare Ingredients:

·    1 kilo of beef (round or sirloin cut) cut into cubes, beef tripe or oxtail (cut 2 inch long) or a combination of all three (beef, tripe and oxtail)

·    3 cups of peanut butter

·    1/4 cup grounded toasted rice

·    1/2 cup cooked bagoong alamang (anchovies)

·    2 pieces onions, diced

·    2 heads of garlic, minced

·    4 tablespoons atsuete oil

·    4 pieces eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick

·    1 bundle Pechay (Bok choy) cut into 2 pieces

·    1 bundle of sitaw (string beans) cut to 2" long

·    1 banana bud, cut similar to eggplant slices, blanch in boiling water

·    1/2 cup oil

·    8 cups of water

·    Salt to taste

Kare Kare Cooking Instructions:

·    In a stock pot, boil beef, tripe and oxtails in water for an hour or until cooked. Strain and keep the stock.

·    In a big pan or wok, heat oil and atsuete oil.

·    Sauté garlic, onions until golden brown, then add the stock, toasted rice, beef, oxtail and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.

·    Add the eggplant, string beans, pechay and banana bud. Cook the vegetables for a few minutes - Do not overcook the vegetables.

·    Serve with bagoong on the side and hot plain rice.

Here are some extra tips for you.

1. If oxtail or oxtripe is not your thing, then settle for the pork pata preferably the from ones. 

2. Back in the old days when I first started, I practiced on chicken kare kare or better known as chiken mole. The advantage? It cuts your boiling time saving you electricity, gas or charcoal. Still the same thing promise!

3. In preparing the banana bud, after slicing its petals, soak them in salt or lime water until you're about to use it. 1 cup of water plus 1/2 tsp. salt or 1Tbsp. lime juice is the suggested proportion. 

4. Not all brands of peanut butter would work. The best one for me would still be Skippy (preferably the creamy kind) or Lady's Choice.

5. If you're in Bacolod and you don't have time to cook anymore, don't deprive yourself from enjoying Kare Kare. Just drop by at any Roli's Restaurant and order (just like what I did last night). You can take it out for only P85... UNBELIEVABLE! If you want to just sit and eat and no more dishwashing, order their meal P100, that goes with 1 cup of steamed rice. Good deal huh? 

Happy Eating!