Kari-Kare (Meat & Vegetable Stew in Peanut Sauce)

Kare-kare (sometimes spelled kari-kare) is the Philippines’ national peanut-sauced stew, a dish that turns tough cuts of meat into silky, fall-off-the-bone comfort through long simmering. Pork hocks and beef stew meat cook for 90 minutes until the collagen breaks down and the meat shreds with a spoon, leaving behind a rich broth that becomes the base for the famous orange-peanut sauce.

The color comes from achuete (annatto seeds) sautéed in oil until the oil turns brick red, then strained and used to build the sauce. Peanut butter thickens the broth into something nutty and almost curry-like, eggplant and green beans simmer in at the end for vegetable contrast, and everything ladles over steamed rice for one of the most satisfying bowls in Filipino cooking.

Traditional kare-kare arrives at the table with a small dish of bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste) on the side. Stirring a spoonful of the salty-funky bagoong into each bite is the final step, and what separates novice kare-kare from the real deal.

Pro Tips

• Simmer the meat long enough to fully break down connective tissue. Undercooked pork hocks stay chewy; properly simmered ones melt on the fork.
• Use natural peanut butter without added sugar. Sweet peanut butter throws off the balance of this savory stew.
• Soak achuete seeds in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then strain. Do not let the seeds burn or the oil turns bitter.
• Add eggplant and green beans only in the last 10 minutes. Longer and they turn mushy.
• Rest the finished stew 10 to 15 minutes off the heat. The flavors deepen and the sauce settles into a glossy coat.

Variations

• Use oxtail instead of pork hocks for a more traditional, beefier version.
• Add banana blossoms or bok choy in season for more vegetable variety.
• Stir in toasted rice powder in place of or alongside peanut butter for a nuttier, more traditional texture.