This beef kare kare recipe is a classic Filipino stew with a rich and thick peanut-based sauce. It is often reserved for special occasions like holidays, birthdays, and fiestas.
This hearty dish has as many variations as there are Filipino households that cook them. While tripe is a traditional option, kare-kare works well with various cuts of meat and even seafood. It’s all a matter of preference. After all, the secret to the best-tasting kare-kare recipe is in the sauce.
What’s In This Kare Kare Recipe
- Meat – This Filipino kare-kare recipe uses beef tripe, a type of organ meat derived from the first three chambers of a cow’s stomach. Oxtail, pata (pork leg or pork hock), or cow’s face are some other popular options next to tripe. These cuts of meat are often cheaper than other premium cuts. But they still work well with the rest of the kare-kare ingredients.
- Vegetables – Vegetables are an essential component of the dish. Some even forgo the meat to make vegetable kare-kare. Besides Chinese eggplant, snake beans, and pechay (Filipino bokchoy), you can also add cabbage and chayote. You can also throw in banana hearts, which are available at Asian supermarkets.
- Annatto – Annatto gives kare-kare its vibrant yellow-orange color. This easy kare kare beef uses annatto seeds that are boiled in water. The water is strained over a bowl to save the annatto water. Discard the seeds afterwards.
- Peanuts – Peanuts give kare-kare its signature nutty taste. A traditional kare-kare beef recipe makes ground peanuts from scratch. It has a consistency that’s fine enough to not be crunchy but also not too creamy like peanut butter.
- Ground Rice – Toasted ground rice serves as a thickener for the kare-kare sauce. It also adds another layer of nutty flavor to the dish.
How to Make Kare-Kare (Filipino-Style Beef Tripe)
An all-time Filipino favorite, this kare kare beef recipe is a labor of love. But it’s guaranteed to be worth making and shared on the dinner table. Here’s how to make it:
- Start by boiling the beef tripe, then sautéing it with garlic and onion.
- Simmer the meat in annatto water. Annatto water is made by boiling the annatto seeds for 2 minutes, then straining them to remove the seeds.
- Add in the beef cube, peanut paste, and toasted ground rice.
- Continue cooking until the sauce thickens according to your preference. Then, add the vegetables.
- Remove from heat when the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
Kare-kare is delicious on its own, but perfectly paired with rice. The rice mellows out the richness of the peanut sauce. Bagoong alamang or sautéed fermented shrimp paste on the side is also a must to add a nice salty, umami flavor.
Tips for Making Beef Tripe Kare-Kare
- Use a pressure cooker to tenderize the tripe. It can cut cooking time by as much as 50 percent, compared to when done the traditional way. Make sure to account for the water you are pouring into the pressure cooker. It should be no more than two-thirds full, so the steam has enough space to accumulate.
- Make a few swaps to simplify it enough for everyday cooking. Use readily-available annatto powder or annatto paste as a substitute for the seed. No grinder for the peanuts and toasted rice? Just use peanut butter in place of ground peanuts. Rice flour to replace the toasted rice.
- Try blanching the vegetables before adding them to the sauce. This allows them to cook more evenly, and lessen your cooking time. Alternatively, you can also prepare them separately by sautéing them with garlic. Simply add them when serving the dish.
Making kare-kare from scratch is generally a laborious process, from tenderizing the meat to making the sauce. But what’s amazing about this dish is that it just gets better the day after as the flavors start to combine.
Looking for some sweet treats to finish off your meal? Try munching on some Filipino desserts to round out your Filipino meal experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can kare-kare stay in the fridge?
Kare-kare is known for spoiling quickly due to the delicate ingredients involved. It can last for up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge and stored in an air-tight container.
How do you clean kare-kare tripe?
When cooking with tripe, make sure to wash it thoroughly. Place the tripe in a large pot of salted water and allow it to boil for at least 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the water and place it on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, scrape the surface gently to remove any unsightly bits. You may also want to give it a final rinse before boiling again.
What is best paired with kare-kare?
The best way to eat kare-kare is to serve it with plain white rice. But you can also stay low on carbs by replacing it with cauliflower rice or simple roasted asparagus.
Recipes.net Team has made editorial contributions to this recipe.
How To Make Kare Kare (Filipino-Style Beef Tripe)
This kare-kare recipe makes a Filipino peanut stew that brings life to beef tripe and tender vegetables. It’s a thick and nutty dish served hot with plain white rice and sauteed shrimp paste on the side.
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef tripe, sliced
- 1 beef cube, such as Knorr
- 1 bunch pechay, or Filipino bok choy
- 15 snake beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 Chinese eggplant, sliced
- 1½ cups peanut, processed until it turns into paste
- ½ cup annatto seeds
- 1 onion, minced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ tbsp toasted ground rice
- 6 cups water, divided
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve:
- shrimp paste, or bagoong alamang, sauteed
Instructions
- Combine the 4 cups of water and the beef tripe in a pot. Boil for 1 hour. Discard water and set the tripe aside.
- Boil 1½ cups of water in a small pot. Add the annatto seeds and boil for 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pot. Saute the onion and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add the tripe and saute for 1 minute.
- Pour the annatto water into the pot while filtering using a kitchen sieve. Let it boil.
- Add the beef cube. Stir and then add the peanut paste. Pour the remaining water and boil for 8 minutes.
- Combine the toasted ground rice and ¼ cup of water. Stir until blended.
- Pour the mixture into the pot. Stir and continue to cook until the texture of the sauce thickens based on your preference.
- Add the snake beans and eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the pechay. Cook for 1 minute.
- Season with ground black pepper.
- Serve with sauteed shrimp paste over warm rice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Sugar: 5g
- :
- Calcium: 93mg
- Calories: 461kcal
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Cholesterol: 1mg
- Fat: 38g
- Fiber: 9g
- Iron: 3mg
- Monounsaturated Fat: 19g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g
- Potassium: 728mg
- Protein: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Sodium: 34mg
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Vitamin A: 38IU
- Vitamin C: 6mg
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Conclusion
Kare-kare tastes best when served hot. Keep it in the fridge for a day or two. You will find that it will taste even better and more intense as the flavors fuse together. Whip up a hearty batch for your friends and family during the winter, and enjoy!Have your own special recipe to share? Submit Your Recipe Today!
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