Oxtail stew (kare kare)

This slow-cooked Filipino oxtail stew is enriched with peanut butter. The recipe calls for annatto powder, which is derived from plant seeds, is used to add flavour and vibrant yellow-orange colour. Take care when handling, as it can stain skin and fabrics.

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g oxtail, cut into 4–5 cm thick pieces
• 1 small sheet ox tripe (optional), cleaned well and cut into 5 cm pieces
• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 eggplant, cut into chunks
• ¼ head pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 6 snake beans, cut into 10 cm pieces
• 2 tsp bagoong (Filipino shrimp paste), plus extra to serve
• 1 tsp annatto powder, mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter (see Note)
• medium bunch of baby bok choy, separated into leaves
• steamed rice, to serve

Instructions

Rinse the oxtail and tripe, if using. Place in a heavy-based saucepan with enough water to cover well.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, topping up with more water to keep meat covered, for 3–4 hours, or until meat is very tender and almost falling off the bone. Strain oxtail and tripe, and reserve the stock.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Cook the garlic and onion for about 30 seconds. Stir in the oxtail and tripe, then add the eggplant, pumpkin and snake beans. Pour over the reserved stock. Add the bagoong and annatto mixture and mix well. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the peanut butter, and continue stirring for 5–7 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Add the bok choy and remove from the heat. Serve with steamed rice and a small spoonful of extra bagoong.

Note

• If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add more peanut butter.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.