Beef Kare-Kare

Beef shank braised until tender in a thick peanut-annatto sauce with banana blossom, eggplant, and sitaw. Served with sautéed bagoong alamang on the side.

Estimated cost: ₱215–₱240

Prep 20 min · Total 140 min · Serves 1

Nutrition per serving: 710 kcal · 38 g protein · 36 g carbs · 46 g fat

Ingredients

• 200g Beef shank (bone-in)
• 3 tbsp (45g) Peanut butter
• 100g Banana blossom (puso ng saging)
• 1 medium (80g), sliced Eggplant
• 50g, cut into 2-inch pieces Long beans (sitaw)
• 30g Bagoong alamang
• 1 medium, chopped Onion
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil
• 4 cloves, minced Garlic
• 1 tbsp Annatto seeds (achuete)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 4 cups Water

Steps

1. Blanch the beef shank in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse to remove impurities.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant, then add onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
3. Add beef shank and 4 cups fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 90 minutes until the beef is fork-tender.
4. Steep annatto seeds in 3 tbsp warm water for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the orange liquid.
5. Stir peanut butter and annatto liquid into the broth. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until thick and creamy.
6. Blanch eggplant and sitaw for 2 minutes, and banana blossom for 3 minutes. Drain well.
7. Add vegetables to the kare-kare and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
8. Stir-fry bagoong in a small pan for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Serve on the side.

Prices are estimates based on Department of Agriculture price monitoring. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central, FNRI).