Pro Tips
**Chef's Tips & Troubleshooting:**
- Toast the ground rice or peanuts before adding them to the stew for deeper flavor.
- Grind peanuts or peanut butter with a little warm broth first to prevent lumps in the sauce.
- Season beef generously with salt and pepper just before cooking, not hours ahead.
- Simmer tough beef cuts low and slow for 1.5 to 2 hours until fork-tender.
Cooking Tips
Slice beef against the grain for the most tender bite every time. Look for the long muscle fibers and cut perpendicular to them. For tough cuts like chuck or brisket, cook low and slow — low heat over a longer time breaks down collagen into rich, silky gelatin. In true Kapampangan style — the food capital of the Philippines — don't be shy with the seasoning. Pampanga cooking is known for its bold, confident flavors.
Ingredient Substitutions
Beef alternatives: For stews, pork shoulder or oxtail provide similar richness. For steaks, try portobello mushrooms or cauliflower steaks for a vegetarian twist. Short on time? A pressure cooker (Instant Pot) can reduce cooking time by roughly half for most braised and stewed Filipino dishes. Reduce liquid slightly since less evaporates.
Storage & Reheating
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The flavors often deepen overnight, making leftovers even more delicious. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
Kare Kare
Made with ox tail, beef tripe, knorr beef cube and pechay — a hearty Filipino dish that's simple to cook and satisfying to share.
Instructions
- Boil 1 quart water in a pressure cooker. Add oxtail and tripe. Continue to boil in medium heat for 20 minutes. Note: do not cover the cooker.
- Drain the water use to boil the beef. Pour 1 quart of fresh water into the pressure cooker. Cover and pressure cook for 25 minutes.
- Prepare annatto water by combining 1 cup of hot water with annatto seeds. Stir. Soak seeds for 10 minutes. Remove the seeds by filtering using a kitchen sieve. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a cooking pot. Saute onion and garlic until onion softens.
- Pour in beef stock into the pot. Note: this is the liquid used to pressure cook the oxtail and tripe. Let boil.
- Add peanut butter. Stir until well blended.
- Add Knorr Beef Cube. Stir.
- Pour annatto water into the pot and then add oxtail and beef tripe. Let the mixture re-boil. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Stir. Pour mixture into the cooking pot. Stir.
- Add in eggplant, banana blossom, and sitaw. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add pechay. Cover the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve!
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Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
- Toast the ground rice or peanuts before adding them to the stew for deeper flavor.
- Grind peanuts or peanut butter with a little warm broth first to prevent lumps in the sauce.
- Season beef generously with salt and pepper just before cooking, not hours ahead.
- Simmer tough beef cuts low and slow for 1.5 to 2 hours until fork-tender.
Cooking Tips
For tough cuts like chuck or brisket, cook low and slow — low heat over a longer time breaks down collagen into rich, silky gelatin.
In true Kapampangan style — the food capital of the Philippines — don't be shy with the seasoning. Pampanga cooking is known for its bold, confident flavors.
Substitutions
Short on time? A pressure cooker (Instant Pot) can reduce cooking time by roughly half for most braised and stewed Filipino dishes. Reduce liquid slightly since less evaporates.
Storage & Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
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