Kare-Kare (read “car-eh”) is definitely one of the most-loved Filipino dishes and it’s not surprising. Kare Kare sauce is thick, creamy and peanut buttery, studded with chunks of unctuous, meltingly soft meat. With the beef (oxtail, tripe) requiring hours of slow or pressure cooking, Kare Kare is considered difficult to make and is not your typical dinner on a regular night.
This is unfortunate for a Kare Kare lover like me. I remember as a kid asking my mom if we can have Kare Kare at home, and she declined saying it’s too difficult. But now I understand. It is hard work to get the oxtail and tripe to soften. So, for regular days when I’m just trying to satisfy a craving, then I make this- a Kare Kare sauce that you can be paired with any meat and veggies I want.
Kare-Kare Sauce
An easy, Kare-Kare Sauce recipe you can match with your choice of meat and vegetables.
- 3 tbsp oil
- ½ tbsp annatto seeds (atsuete)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bulb onion, minced
- 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional) (if your peanut butter is already sweet, this may be omitted)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 level tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp bagoong (Filipino fermented shrimp paste)
Heat oil and annatto seeds (atsuete) in a pot over medium heat. The annatto will start releasing a red-orange pigment, coloring the oil.
When the oil is sufficiently colored (1-2 minutes), remove the seeds.
Add the chopped garlic and onion, and saute until fragrant.
Add in the peanut butter. Mix well.
Add sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce and bagoong. Stir until well incorporated.
Mix cornstarch with beef stock. Pour the mixture into the pot and mix until simmering and thickened, around 2 minutes.
What to match with Kare Kare Sauce
Traditionally, Kare Kare is made up of the sauce with oxtail, tripe, bok-choy (or pechay), eggplant, banana hearts and string beans (sitaw). It has become fashionable, however, to serve different versions of Kare Kare. Often served stylishly, with the meats and vegetables cooked separately and plated on top of a pool of the sauce. Here are some ideas:
Meats
- Kare Kare with Bagnet (This is a modern, popular version of Kare Kare topped with crispy-skin, deep-fried pork belly.)
- Seafood Kare Kare. Think glorious, cooked prawns and mussels. A special treat!
- Roast Beef. Popular for people who are not fans of oxtail and tripe.
- Roast Lamb. (I did this! And the lamb was “roasted” in the air-fryer. So convenient!)
- Chicken. Because why not?
Vegetables
- Fried sliced eggplants.
- Blanched or steamed bok-choy (or pechay)
- Steamed or pan-fried string beans (sitaw)
- Steamed or pan-fried banana hearts
- Steamed or pan-fried green beans
Happy cooking! Let us know how you did on the comments below. 🙂
Anne Cortz 
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