Kare-Kare from Ate Lucy

It's pronounced "ah-tteh" and means "older sister" in Tagalong.  You see, not long ago, I was adopted into the Filipino community here in our neck of San Diego.  And I've discovered that nobody enjoys food and life more than my Filipino com padre's.  Ate Lucy is a good friend who does some serious Filipino cooking.  There is NOTHING that she has made that I do not want as an execution meal. 

Kare-Kare is Filipino Beef Stew, but it's no ordinary stew.  It's special.  It's soul, comfort, celebration, and love all in one simple pot of simple ingredients.  Drooling yet?  Yeah...  To my utter dismay and chagrin, I've never had Lucy's kare-kare, so I've asked her for the recipe.  This is what she sent…

Ingredients:

·    1 kilo [2.2lbs] 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)  [fermented anchovie paste, available at most asian markets]

·    2 pieces onions, diced

·    2 heads of garlic, minced

·    4 tablespoons atsuete oil [or annatto oil; gives distinct yellow color of kare-kare; available at Filipino markets]

·    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

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.

Picture from http://recipe.foohta.com/kare-kare/

Thanks Ate Lucy for sharing and welcome to the Tribe!  I can't tell you how excited I am to try it!  I hope to do Kare-Kare justice.  I'll let you know. 

(If you’d like to share your recipes too, email them to koreandadscancook@gmail.com)