Kare-Kare
Slow-Braised Oxtail in Rich Peanut Sauce with Fresh Vegetables
About This Recipe
Kare-Kare is one of the most celebrated dishes in Filipino fiesta cuisine. Tender oxtail (and often tripe) is braised for hours until the meat falls from the bone, then bathed in a thick, orange-tinted peanut sauce colored by annatto seeds. Fresh vegetables — eggplant, string beans, bok choy, and sliced banana heart — complete the dish. A side of bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste) is non-negotiable; it is the salt counterpoint to the rich peanut sauce. Annatto (atsuete), bagoong, and banana heart all have entries in our Filipino ingredients glossary.
The dish likely evolved from Indian-Muslim trade influence during pre-colonial times, with the peanut-thickened sauce paralleling Indian kurma and massaman styles. In modern Filipino kitchens, kare-kare is fiesta food — served at weddings, baptisms, and Sunday family gatherings. Pair it with steamed rice and a cold beer. For more fiesta staples, see our most popular Filipino dishes guide.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs oxtail, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 lb beef tripe (optional)
- 1 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup ground toasted rice
- 1 tbsp annatto powder (atsuete)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups water or beef broth
- 1 banana heart, sliced (optional)
- 2 Chinese eggplants, sliced
- 1 bunch string beans (sitaw)
- 1 bunch bok choy or pechay
- for serving bagoong alamang
Instructions
- 1
Braise the Oxtail
Place oxtail and tripe in a large pot with water. Bring to a boil, skim the scum, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 to 2.5 hours until meat is fork-tender. Reserve 6 cups of the broth.
- 2
Build the Peanut Base
In a separate large pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until fragrant. Add annatto powder and stir 30 seconds to bloom the color. Pour in reserved broth and bring to a simmer.
- 3
Thicken the Sauce
Whisk in peanut butter until smooth. Add ground toasted rice and simmer, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon thickly.
- 4
Add Vegetables
Add banana heart first (needs 5-7 minutes). Then add eggplant and string beans, simmer 5 minutes until tender-crisp. Add bok choy last, 1-2 minutes before serving.
- 5
Combine and Serve
Return braised oxtail and tripe to the peanut sauce. Heat through gently. Season with salt. Serve hot over steamed rice with sautéed bagoong alamang on the side.
Tips & Variations
Pressure Cook the Oxtail
Cut braising time from 2.5 hours to 45 minutes with a pressure cooker. Oxtail at 15 PSI for 45 minutes reaches the same fall-apart tenderness.
Always Sauté the Bagoong
Raw bagoong is fishy and overly salty. Sauté 2 tablespoons in oil with a bit of garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes to mellow and deepen the flavor.
Ground Toasted Rice Matters
The traditional thickener is toasted glutinous rice ground to powder. It thickens AND adds a distinctive nutty flavor. Cornstarch works but misses that toasted note.
History & Origins
Kare-kare's origin is actively debated among food historians, and two competing theories have genuine supporting evidence. The more widely cited theory traces the dish to Kapampangan (Pampanga province) cooks who adapted a curry — brought by Indian-Muslim traders who sailed through the archipelago during the pre-colonial spice trade period — by substituting ground peanuts for Indian spice pastes and annatto for turmeric. The word "kare" is plausibly derived from "curry," passed through Malay as a trade language. The second theory, documented in colonial-era accounts, attributes kare-kare to a creative adaptation made during the British occupation of Manila (1762–1764), when Sepoy soldiers (Indian troops in British service) brought their curry cooking traditions and local cooks absorbed the peanut-thickened stew that resulted.
Regardless of origin, Pampanga province claims kare-kare as its signature contribution to Philippine cuisine. Kapampangans are widely considered the best cooks in the Philippines — a reputation backed by the fact that the country's most celebrated restaurant traditions, professional chefs, and culinary schools have disproportionate representation from this single province. The mandatory accompaniment of sautéed bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste) is not optional decoration — it provides the salt, fermented umami, and funk that the mild peanut sauce lacks on its own. Kare-kare without bagoong is considered unfinished.
Regional Variations
While Pampanga holds the canonical version, kare-kare appears across Luzon and parts of Visayas with meaningful differences:
- Kapampangan (original): Oxtail as the primary protein, always includes banana blossom (puso ng saging), elaborate fresh-ground peanut sauce rather than commercial peanut butter, bagoong accompaniment is carefully sautéed with garlic and onion.
- Metro Manila standard: Often combines oxtail and beef tripe for textural variety. Peanut butter is used for convenience instead of whole ground peanuts.
- Tagalog versions: Some add pork hocks or ox knuckles. The sauce tends to be slightly thinner and less peanut-forward.
- Visayan interpretations: Rare but exist. Some Visayan versions use chicken or pork instead of beef, and reduce the peanut sauce in favor of a more coconut-forward base — making it closer to a peanut-coconut curry.
- Modern restaurant versions: Crispy kare-kare (oxtail fried to a crisp before being coated in sauce), kare-kare pizza (as fusion), or kare-kare with prawns as protein — all Metro Manila innovations.
Ingredient Substitutions for Overseas Cooking
Kare-kare uses several ingredients that require Asian specialty stores. These substitutions maintain the dish's character when the originals are unavailable:
- Oxtail: Beef short ribs (bone-in) are the best substitute — similar collagen content produces a rich, gelatinous broth during the long braise. Lamb shanks also work for a different but interesting variation.
- Banana blossom (puso ng saging): Canned banana blossom (available at most Asian grocery stores and some Western supermarkets) is a direct substitute. Young green jackfruit (canned) provides a similar fibrous texture.
- Achuete (annatto) powder: Combine 1/2 tsp sweet paprika with 1/4 tsp ground turmeric. This approximates annatto's orange color and earthy, faintly peppery flavor.
- Bagoong alamang (shrimp paste): The most difficult to substitute. Miso paste (Japanese) provides fermented umami. Anchovy paste + a pinch of sugar replicates the shrimp-fermented-sweet profile better than miso. Neither is identical, but both make the dish work.
- Kangkong (water spinach): Baby spinach or broccolini. Baby bok choy works well and holds up to the thick peanut sauce without becoming waterlogged.