Kare-Kare (Oxtail and Vegetables in Peanut Sauce)

Introduction

Kare-kare is a Filipino stew where tender oxtail and parboiled vegetables simmer in a rich, nutty peanut sauce colored with annatto. The dish balances savory depth from the meat and umami from ground rice with the distinct earthiness of peanuts, creating a sauce that’s thick enough to coat each piece without being heavy. It’s a weekend dinner that takes time but requires minimal active work once the oxtail is tender.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 90 minutes
• Total Time: 110 minutes
• Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 pack (1.5-2 lb) oxtail
• 6 cups water
• ½ cup annatto seeds for coloring
• 3 eggplants
• 1 lb string beans
• 1 banana blossom
• 1 head garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• ¼ cup cooking oil
• 1 cup ground peanuts
• 1 cup toasted ground rice

Instructions

1. Boil the oxtail in water until tender.
2. Soak annatto seeds in ½ cup water, set aside. Rub the seeds if necessary to bring out color.
3. Cut string beans in 3-inch lengths.
4. Cut eggplants diagonally, ½-inch thick.
5. Cut banana blossoms diagonally, ½-inch thick.
6. Parboil string beans, eggplants and banana blossoms, then set aside.
7. Sauté garlic and onions in cooking oil.
8. Take out the annatto seeds, add the water, and boil for 5 minutes.
9. Stir in ground peanuts and ground rice.
10. Bring to a boil, then add the oxtail and vegetables.
11. Add more water if needed to have enough sauce; it should be thick and not watery. Add fish sauce to taste.
12. Serve with steamed rice and shrimp paste (bagoong) on the side.

Variations

Chicken instead of oxtail: Use 2 lb chicken thighs or legs, boiled until tender (about 40 minutes). The sauce will be lighter in color and less rich, but the cooking time drops significantly and the dish works just as well for a quicker weeknight meal.

Extra vegetables: Add 1 cup of bok choy or Chinese cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces and parboiled alongside the string beans and eggplants. This adds mild sweetness and bulk without changing the sauce character.

Creamier sauce: Stir in ½ cup coconut milk at the end of cooking, just before serving. This softens the peanut edge and creates a silkier mouthfeel, though it shifts the dish slightly away from tradition.

More garlic: Use 2 heads of garlic instead of 1 for a more pungent, aromatic sauce. Chop and sauté the same way; the extra garlic will deepen the savory notes without overwhelming the peanut flavor.

Vegetarian version: Omit the oxtail and use 3 cups of mixed vegetables (add potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms to the existing eggplant, string beans, and banana blossom). Substitute fish sauce with soy sauce or additional salt to taste. The stew becomes vegetable-forward but still rich from the peanut and rice base.

Tips for Success

Boil the oxtail long enough. It should be fork-tender before you move on—if it’s still tough, you’ll have chewy meat in the final dish. Plan for 60–90 minutes depending on the size of the pieces and your heat level.

Don’t skip the annatto soak. Soaking the seeds in water draws out their color without burning them. Rubbing the seeds between your fingers while they soak speeds up color release and deepens the golden-red hue of the sauce.

Parboil the vegetables so they stay firm. If you add raw vegetables directly to the sauce, they’ll break down and become mushy by the time the stew is done. A quick boil (3–5 minutes) gives them structure while still cooking them partway through.

Balance the sauce thickness as you go. Once you’ve added the peanuts and rice, the sauce thickens quickly. Add water a little at a time if it’s too thick; remember that it will set up slightly more as it cools, so aim for barely thick rather than gluggy while cooking.

Fish sauce is essential, not optional. Even a small amount lifts the savory depth and ties the peanut, rice, and meat flavors together. Add it gradually and taste as you go—it’s salty and pungent, but a teaspoon or two makes a noticeable difference.

Storage and Reheating

Store kare-kare in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken further as it cools; reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring often and adding a splash of water if it becomes too stiff. You can also reheat it in a covered pot in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Kare-kare does not freeze well—the oxtail becomes tough when thawed, and the sauce separates. Stick to refrigerator storage.

FAQ

Can I make kare-kare ahead of time? Yes. Cook it fully, let it cool completely, and store it in the fridge. It actually tastes better the next day as the flavors meld. Reheat gently and add water if the sauce has thickened too much.

What if I can’t find banana blossoms? Omit them entirely or replace them with 1 cup of additional string beans or a small bunch of bok choy, parboiled the same way. The dish won’t have the same subtle floral note, but the overall balance stays intact.

Why is my sauce grainy? This usually means the ground peanuts or toasted rice weren’t fully stirred in before the liquid came back to a boil, trapping lumps. Whisk both ingredients together with a small amount of sauce in a separate bowl before adding them to the pot, or pass the finished stew through a fine sieve if the graininess bothers you.

Is there a substitute for shrimp paste? Fish sauce alone provides the savory depth, so if you don’t have shrimp paste (bagoong), the stew is still complete. If you want a side condiment, a simple soy sauce works; some cooks also serve it with a squeeze of fresh calamansi or lemon juice to brighten the richness.