Crockpot Kare-kare (Oxtail Peanut Stew)
(Adapted from Philippine Cuisine by Myrna D. Segismundo)
Ingredients:
2 lb oxtail
1 lb ox tripe (or use all oxtail/beef with no tripe)
Enough water to cover meat
3 Tbsp oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, minced
2 pcs Japanese eggplant sliced diagonally into 1 inch rings (or regular ones sliced into smaller pieces)
½ lb yard-long beans (sitaw) cut into 3-inch pieces (or regular green beans)
½ lb Chinese cabbage or chard (bokchoy, pechay) or similar vegetable with leaves separated (if using spinach, add to crockpot at the very end)
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
Annatto water – 1 tsp annatto seeds dissolved in 2 Tbsp water, strain and discard seeds (can omit this if no time)
Pepper to taste
1 cup sautéed shrimp paste (guisadong bagoong alamang)
Directions:
In a preheated pot with oil, sauté garlic and onion. Place oxtail and tripe, water, and garlic/onion mixture in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.
At the sixth hour, remove about 2 cups of stock from the crockpot and place in large bowl or pot. Add peanut butter and annatto water, and mix well. Return peanut butter mixture to crockpot, add eggplant, beans, and cabbage and mix well. Season with pepper. You may boil/steam the vegetables separately and mix into crockpot at the end or serve on the side.
Serve with steamed rice and a side of sautéed shrimp paste.
To make this Paleo friendly – try substituting peanut butter with almond butter. I’ve never tried this but hope to soon!
Pinoy Roots 