Kare-Kare
Velvety peanut stew with beef and vegetables.
Ingredients
Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.
- 1.2 kg beef shank
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup toasted rice flour
- 1 eggplant
- sitaw
- bok choy
- 1–2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, as needed
- Fine salt, to taste (use less when the dish contains soy sauce, fish sauce or bagoong)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Wash and cut all vegetables first, portion the protein, and measure the liquids and seasonings. Keep salt, fish sauce, soy sauce and pepper beside the stove so you can season gradually rather than all at once.
- 2
Set a heavy pot, wok or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons of cooking oil unless the recipe begins with a fatty cut of meat. Simmer beef until tender; reserve broth.
- 3
Whisk peanut butter and rice flour into broth.
- 4
Lower the heat before the final seasoning. Taste the broth or sauce first, then add salt, fish sauce, soy sauce or black pepper a little at a time. Remember that soy sauce, bagoong and fish sauce already contain salt.
- 5
Add beef and blanched vegetables; serve with bagoong.
- 6
Turn off the heat and let the dish stand for 3–5 minutes so the flavours settle. Taste once more before serving and offer calamansi, fish sauce or pepper at the table when appropriate.
About Kare-Kare
Kare-kare is a festive Filipino stew of tender meat, vegetables and a mellow peanut sauce, traditionally served with pungent bagoong on the side. Its sauce should be nutty and savoury rather than sweet, with the condiment supplying extra salt and depth.
New Zealand ingredient swaps
- Beef shank: use oxtail, chuck or a combination; cooking time varies by cut.
- Ground toasted rice: use rice flour toasted in a dry pan until lightly nutty.
- Sitaw: use green beans; pechay: use bok choy; choose unsweetened smooth peanut butter.
How to know it is ready
- Simmer beef gently until fork-tender and reserve the flavourful broth.
- Whisk rice flour into cool or warm broth before adding it to avoid lumps.
- The sauce is ready when it coats a spoon but still pours; simmer gently after adding peanut butter.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Sweet sauce: use unsweetened peanut butter and balance with broth, not sugar.
- Lumpy sauce: whisk toasted rice flour with broth separately, then strain if needed.
- Overcooked vegetables: blanch separately and fold them in just before serving.
Family and regional variations
- Use oxtail and tripe for a celebratory version.
- Make seafood kare-kare with prawns and squid, cooking them only briefly.
- Use tofu and mushrooms for a vegetable-centred version.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze meat and sauce without the vegetables for up to 2 months. Reheat gently, thin with stock and add freshly cooked vegetables.
What to serve with it
Serve with rice and bagoong alamang in a separate dish so each diner controls the saltiness. Add blanched eggplant, beans and bok choy.
Kare-Kare FAQs
Why is kare-kare bland without bagoong?
The peanut sauce is intentionally mellow; bagoong provides concentrated salt and umami at the table.
Can I use peanut butter?
Yes—choose unsweetened smooth peanut butter and adjust thickness with broth.
How do I thicken the sauce?
Use toasted rice flour mixed with cool broth, then simmer gently until it coats a spoon.
Our recipe standard: This page has been editorially reviewed for clarity, cultural context and practical home-kitchen guidance. We do not label a recipe as personally kitchen-tested unless that testing has actually been completed. Always follow current food-safety advice and the instructions for your equipment.
