Filipino Kare-Kare with Braised Oxtail, Roasted Peanut Sauce, Banana Blossom and Fermented Shrimp Paste

Braise the oxtail: season oxtail segments on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy pot, heat oil over high heat. Sear oxtail in batches until deeply browned on all sides — 4-5 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot. Browning the oxtail at this stage develops the deep beefy flavor that will carry through the entire dish. Transfer seared oxtail to a plate.

Ingredients

• For the braised oxtail:
• 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) oxtail, cut into 5cm segments — ask the butcher to saw the segments cleanly
• 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper for seasoning
• 2 tbsp neutral oil for searing
• 1 large white onion, quartered
• 1 whole head garlic, halved crosswise
• 2 liters (8 cups) water or light beef stock
• For the kare-kare sauce:
• 250g (9 oz) raw unsalted peanuts, toasted in a dry pan until golden — do NOT use salted, roasted peanuts or peanut butter; the toasted raw peanuts create the correct flavor
• 3 tbsp annatto seeds (achuete) steeped in 3 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes, then squeezed and liquid strained — or 1 tsp annatto powder; this provides the sauce's characteristic golden-orange color
• 1 large white onion, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Reserved braising liquid from the oxtail (about 1 liter)
• 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour (malagkit) dissolved in 4 tbsp cold water — traditional thickener
• Salt to taste
• For the vegetables:
• 1 banana blossom (puso ng saging), outer petals removed, cut into quarters and soaked in salted water — or use canned banana blossom
• 200g (7 oz) long beans (sitaw), cut into 8cm pieces
• 2 Asian eggplants, cut into thick rounds
• 200g (7 oz) bok choy or pechay, halved
• For serving (essential accompaniment):
• Bagoong alamang (Filipino fermented shrimp paste), fried in a little oil with garlic, onion, tomato, and sugar until cooked and fragrant — this is not optional; kare-kare without bagoong is incomplete
• Steamed white rice

Instructions

1. Braise the oxtail: season oxtail segments on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy pot, heat oil over high heat. Sear oxtail in batches until deeply browned on all sides — 4-5 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot. Browning the oxtail at this stage develops the deep beefy flavor that will carry through the entire dish. Transfer seared oxtail to a plate.
2. Build the braise: in the same pot, combine seared oxtail, quartered onion, and halved garlic head. Add water or stock to cover. Bring to a boil, skimming impurities. Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 2.5-3 hours until the oxtail is fall-off-the-bone tender — the collagen fully dissolved, the meat yielding to gentle pressure. Remove the oxtail pieces. Strain and reserve the braising liquid — this is the stock base for the sauce.
3. Make the peanut sauce: grind the toasted peanuts in a food processor or blender to a coarse paste — not smooth peanut butter, but a grainy, textured paste with visible peanut pieces. This texture is characteristic of kare-kare. In a wide, deep pan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 8 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add annatto liquid and stir — the oil will turn vivid orange-gold.
4. Build the sauce: add the peanut paste to the sautéed aromatics. Stir well, then gradually pour in the reserved braising liquid, stirring constantly. The sauce will look thin at first — it thickens as it cooks. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the peanut sauce is smooth, deeply flavored, and creamy. Stir in the glutinous rice flour slurry to thicken further. Cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt — the sauce should taste nutty, rich, and mildly sweet with no sharpness.
5. Add the braised oxtail back to the sauce: return the oxtail pieces to the peanut sauce. Simmer together for 15-20 minutes, allowing the oxtail to absorb the peanut sauce. The sauce will coat the oxtail heavily. This melding of braised meat and thick peanut sauce is the heart of kare-kare.
6. Cook the vegetables: in the last 10 minutes, add the vegetables in order of cooking time — long beans first (6 minutes), then eggplant (5 minutes), banana blossom (5 minutes), and bok choy (2 minutes). The vegetables should be tender but retain their color and structure. They cook in the peanut sauce, absorbing it as they soften.
7. Prepare the bagoong: fry the fermented shrimp paste in a little oil with minced garlic, diced tomato, and onion. Cook until the raw fermented smell mellows to a complex, savory, deeply umami seasoning. Add a pinch of sugar to balance the salt. The fried bagoong should be soft, oily, and intensely fragrant.
8. To serve: ladle kare-kare — oxtail and vegetables in peanut sauce — over steamed white rice in a wide bowl. Serve the fried bagoong in a small dish on the side. Each diner mixes bagoong into their portion at the table — the saltiness and pungency of the fermented paste cuts through the rich, sweet peanut sauce in a balance that defines Filipino cooking. Kare-kare is the prestige dish of Kapampangan cuisine, the culinary heartland of the Philippines, served at fiestas, family reunions, and special occasions since the Spanish colonial period.