Kare-Kare with tender pork belly in creamy peanut sauce with vegetables. A delicious, hearty and thick stew that will warm your belly from the inside out!
Peanut butter is not just good as a spread for bread but also plays a critical part in this dish. The type of peanut butter that you use will make or break the dish. This stew is always served with shrimp paste. It’s unimaginable to have this dish without bagoong.
What protein goes well with the dish?
It’s usually made of oxtail or pork hocks but I used pork belly for this recipe since it’s meatier. You can also use seafood (prawns, squid, and mussels) or exclusively vegetables. Kare-kare is normally served on special occasions, but with this easy recipe, you can have it every week!
How to make Kare Kare
This dish seems complicated to do. But if you compare this with other stews, it’s not too difficult at all. In a pot, boil water with salt and add the cut pork bellies until half-way tender. Remove meat and set aside. Save the stock where the meat was boiled and set aside. Separately boil the string beans and aubergine until soft then remove from the pot and set aside.
Blanch the bok choy just until it turns bright green and slightly tender, for 40 seconds. Remember: you’re going to cook it again, so no need to overdo it. In another cooking pot. Saute garlic and onion until translucent. Lower heat and add peanut butter stir for 5 seconds then add the annatto powder and stir until incorporated.
Add the pork belly cubes and mix until the meat absorbs the sauce. Pour in the stock and cover the pot. After 10 minutes check that the meat is fully cooked. Add the vegetables and mix until coated with sauce. Serve with shrimp paste as condiment and rice. Bon Appetit!
Tips for Kare Kare
- Boil the vegetables separately.
- When choosing the type of peanut butter, use the fine and creamy kind and not the coarse or salty one.
The secret ingredient is always LOVE
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Kare-kare
Ingredients
- 1 kilo pork belly washed and cut in cubes approx. 2 inches
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1½ tbsp annatto powder
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 cup string beans
- 1 aubergine/eggplant
- 4 cups water add more if needed
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- In a pot, boil water with salt and add the cut pork bellies until half-way tender. Remove meat from water and set aside.
- Save the stock where the meat was boiled and set aside.
- Separately boil the string beans and aubergine until soft then remove from the water and set aside.
- In the same pot where the vegetables were cooked, blanch the bok choy until it turns bright green and slightly tender, approx. 40 seconds.
- In another cooking pot. Saute garlic and onion until translucent. Lower heat and add peanut butter stir for 5 seconds then add the annatto powder and stir until incorporated.
- Add the pork belly cubes and mix until the meat absorbs the sauce. Pour in the stock and cover the pot. After 10 minutes check that the meat if fully cooked.
- Add the vegetables and mix until coated with sauce. Serve with shrimp paste as condiment and rice. Bon Appetit!