Oxtail Kare Kare

This version of Kare Kare is what is often served in Kapampangan kitchens. I've seen a variation of this recipe with okra and other vegetables but at home we use eggplants, long beans, pechay and banana heart.

Ingredients

 2 lbs oxtail (cut into 2-inch pieces)
oil for sauteeing
3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 small onion (chopped)
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter (or 1/3 ground peanuts and 1/3 ground toasted rice)
1 small banana heart (optional)
About 10-15 long beans (cut into 2-inch pieces)
2 small eggplants (cut into 2-inch pieces)
2 tbsp achuete seeds (soaked in 1/4 cup water)

The Meat

Wash the Ox tails and place them in a large sauce pan and cover with water. Place over high heat and boil then reduce the heat to simmer until tender and the meat is falling off the bone.

The Sauce

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add oil and achuete seeds and stir until oil is red. Take out the seeds and discard. Then, saute garlic and onions. Add the peanut butter (or ground peanuts) and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the reserved broth and cook for 10-15 minutes to blend. To thicken the sauce, you may use  ground rice (browned) or corn starch. Make sure the sauce is not too thick or too soupy.

Add the oxtail and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Add the blanched vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with white (steamed) rice and bagoong.

The Vegetables

If using banana heart: fill a bowl with about 3 cups water and 1 tbsp salt. Peel the outer layers of the banana heart and cut into 8 sections and place in the salted water and soak for about 3-5 minutes.

In a pan, add water and bring to a boil. Blanch the eggplants, pechay, beans and banana heart. Make sure to place the blanched vegetables in ice water to avoid overcooking.