Slow Cooker Kare-Kare (Oxtail in Peanut Gravy)
Speed - 97%
Simplicity - 97%
Tastiness - 100%
98%
Delicious!
The oxtail came out really melt-in-your-mouth tender. The peanut gravy, excellent.
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Oxtail cut into slices
- 500 Grams Beef Short Ribs cut into cubes
- 1 Cup Peanuts roasted and ground
- 1/4 Cup Annatto Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 6 Cloves garlic minced
- 1 Piece Shallot minced
- 1 Bunch Bok Choy
- Salt to taste
- Shrimp Paste to serve
Instructions
- Cover oxtail and beef short ribs with water in the slow cooker. Cook on low for eight hours.
- Soak annatto seeds in warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Sautee shallots and garlic in a pan.
- Whisk in cooking broth, ground peanuts, annatto-infused water, sugar, and fish sauce.
- Add oxtail and beef shortribs. Bring to a simmer.
- Add in vegetables to cook.
- Season with more fish sauce or salt if needed.
- Serve with rice and shrimp paste on the side.
This authentic Filipino dish is a definite must-try. It's simply delicious.
An authentic Kare-Kare should be made with oxtail, though several variations using pork hocks may also be seen. Not everyone at home loves oxtail so I added in some beef short ribs as well. I just didn't want to totally get rid of the oxtail due to the rich and gelatinous substance that it gives off to the broth. Pork hocks are used for this same characteristic, and they naturally do come cheaper than oxtail in the market.
First thing to do – get these cuts of beef tender. This task would need nearly two hours of boiling over the stovetop. Not to mention, you'll have to constantly monitor your cooking liquid to keep the contents of your pot from drying out and burning.
With evaporation nearly non-existent in the slow cooker, this task is as simple as leaving the pot on as you sleep, and is exactly what I did. I left it on low for about eight hours in the pot and it came out perfectly tender.
This dish's characteristic bright red gravy comes from the use of Annatto. Soak about a quarter cup of Annatto seeds in a bowl of warm water to extract that beautiful color. You may also use Annatto powder in place of the seeds which should come easily available in most grocery stores too.
Here's the star of the dish – the peanuts. Some cooks use ready-made peanut butter for convenience. Honestly, if you do have the time, go for raw peanuts. Roast and grind them at home. This way, you get that rich peanut taste without all too much sweetness from commercial peanut butter.
Most preparations of Kare-Kare come with a very smooth gravy. I like mine a bit on the chunky side though, so I pulse my peanuts short of getting into a butter-like consistency. First, these peanut chunks give texture to the dish. Second, it's a subtle way of telling your guests that you've put in the effort of grinding your own nuts for the sauce.
Now that the beef is tender and your peanuts are ready, it's time to make the sauce.
Sautee some shallots and garlic in a pan. Make sure to get these aromatics to a fine mince so you don't get bits of them later in the sauce. Roast them over low to medium heat to get the most out of their flavor without burning them.
Next, get in the ground peanuts and get them roasting a bit more. This will give your dish a more nutty flavor.
Then ladle in some broth from your slow cooker into your pan. Strain the annatto seed-infused water in and season with a bit of fish sauce.
Get those tender pieces of meat in and give it some five minutes to simmer in the gravy to pick up on those flavors. You may add your vegetables at this point too. Some commonly used vegetables are bok choy, string beans, banana hearts, and eggplant.
I like having mine with bok choy alone and I blanch them in a separate pot to keep the natural bitterness from the vegetables from ruining the flavors of my gravy.
Serve with rice and of course, some shrimp paste on the side. This dish just ain't complete without it. 
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Oxtail cut into slices
- 500 Grams Beef Short Ribs cut into cubes
- 1 Cup Peanuts roasted and ground
- 1/4 Cup Annatto Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 6 Cloves garlic minced
- 1 Piece Shallot minced
- 1 Bunch Bok Choy
- Salt to taste
- Shrimp Paste to serve
Instructions
- Cover oxtail and beef short ribs with water in the slow cooker. Cook on low for eight hours.
- Soak annatto seeds in warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Sautee shallots and garlic in a pan.
- Whisk in cooking broth, ground peanuts, annatto-infused water, sugar, and fish sauce.
- Add oxtail and beef shortribs. Bring to a simmer.
- Add in vegetables to cook.
- Season with more fish sauce or salt if needed.
- Serve with rice and shrimp paste on the side.
Slow Cooker Taosi Spare Ribs
I followed the recipe guide and was successful in making the dish as good as I had hoped; it was my husband’s request for his bday dinner.
I didn’t have shallots, I used red onions, and I used Kraft skippy smooth peanut butter. Thank you; Salamat!!!