Kare Kare

My grandson brought this dish home from one of his Filipino friends house. He asked the mom tf he could bring some to me. It was wonderful! Of course, i had to do my own thing with it and though less than traditional, I think my version is wonderful too. And its even better after sitting in the fridge overnight.

 

Ingredients:

3-5 lbs chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
7 Tbs vegetable oil
2 red onions, cut into large dice
1 Pablano Pepper, large dice
2 celery stalks, large dice
1 carrot, cut into large dice
½ tsp dried thyme
4 to 6 cups beef broth
1/2 – 1 lbs Japanese eggplants sliced 3/4-inch thick pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz of green beans, stems removed and cut into 2-inch lengths
4-6 baby bok choy heads, quartered lengthwise
½ cup Adams Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (less salt and sugar than others)
2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs annatto seed paste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season beef well with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 3 Tbs vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Brown the beef on all sides then set aside.
  3. Remove all but a tablespoon or so of the fat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, celery and carrot and cook them until they are softened (~3-6 mins).
  4. Deglaze with beef stock getting all the good bits from the bottom.
  5. Add beef back into the pot with the veggies, thyme and stock and cover.
  6. Cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, checking for beef tenderness after 1.5 hours. Beef should be tender but not falling apart.
  7. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbs oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 5 minutes until eggplant is softened. Set aside. Repeat process for beans with 1 Tbs oil cooking (~3-4min).
  8. Season to taste. Repeat for bok choy, Add 1 Tbs oil to the pan, cook the bok choy until bright green and tender,(~2 min). Set aside.
  9. When the beef is tender, remove the meat from the liquid in the pot, Set aside. Strain braising liquid and discard fat and solids. You should have 5 cups of liquid; if you have less, add additional stock to total 5 cups, then simmer the liquid over medium-high heat on the stove until reduced by half.
  10. Turn the heat to low, and using a hand blender, mix in the peanut butter and soy sauce. Add the annatto seed paste, blend again and let simmer for to thicken slightly.
  11. Return the meat and veggies to the pot and let it cook until heated through, a minute or two. Serve hot with rice. Traditionalists will want bagoong (stinky fermented shrimp paste). Combine some Kare Kare and rice with bagoong for the perfect bite.