K/ABC Wednesday

K is for Kare-Kare

Kare-kare [pronounced as kar′ēkar′ē] is a Filipino comfort food, a perennial family favorite in both local and overseas Filipino households.  It is a stew made from peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables, oxtail and tripe.  It is often eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste) spiced with chili.  A Philippine fiesta is not complete without Kare-kare, particularly in the province of Pampanga.  

Preparation:  Oxtail, with skin on and cut into 2-inch lengths, and ox tripe are boiled until tender.  When the meat is tender, the soup becomes gelatinous and to this, ground roasted peanuts (or unsweetened peanut butter) and ground roasted glutinous  rice are added to make the soup thicker.  Achuete (annatto) is also added to give color.  The basic vegetables for kare-kare include banana flower bud, eggplant, string beans and Chinese cabbage.  It is served hot with sauteed shrimp paste and eaten with steamed rice.

Linking to ABC Wednesday