Last night I tried making Kare-Kare for the first time. It’s one of those classic Filipino dishes that I grew up with. The whole combination of slow-cooked oxtail, simmered with eggplant, bok choy, and other vegetables in a soupy peanut butter sauce just goes so well together. As someone stated in the comments of the recipe page. It’s comfort food. Serve it up with warm white rice. Add some bagoong (shrimp paste) on the side. I always associate Kare-Kare with fond memories.
Via Pinterest, I found a recipe here:
http://www.theskinnypot.com/slow-cooked-kare-kare-from-scratch-filipino-peanut-stew-from-scratch/
What I like about this recipe is that you don’t rely on Mama Sita’s Kare-Kare mix. You just make it from scratch.
It turned out ok but not great. For the first trial, I’m not surprised. Here’s what I would do differently the next time I make it:
- Cook with enough time in advance to let the meat broth cool. When the fat thickens and separates at the broth’s surface, remove it. (I personally don’t mind all the fat, but it would make Caro happy.)
- Use more peanut butter! Even though that’s the ingredient I think really makes Kare-Kare uniquely delicious, I went conservative this first time. Not all the kids like the peanut butter soup so I thought they might give it a try if I kept it subtle. The result was Kare-Kare with only a hint of peanut butter flavor. Sofia still didn’t like it. On the other hand, Caro added more peanut butter to her serving. It was lose-lose both ways.
I also made fried rice with a recipe I’ve used a few times already:
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/fried-rice-recipe/
The kids love fried rice, especially Luna and Leon. I smile watching them enjoy it as much as they do. Last night, though, I overcooked it and added too much black pepper. They still liked it but for next time, I have to be more attentive. I was juggling both the Kare-Kare and fried rice on different burners, trying to be efficient. Instead, I spread myself too thin. It’ll take a lot more practice before I get to that point of juggling without dropping the ball.