Oxtail Kare-Kare

Bagoong. Tripe. Peanut Butter.

serves 6

Broth

4 lbs oxtails
1 lb tripe
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
1 onion
oil

Rinse oxtails and tripe under cold, running water. Trim off excess fat. Slice tripe into bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and brown oxtails on all sides.

Cut onion into large dice. Place into a deep pot, with oxtails, tripe, celery, and carrot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 2 ½ to 3 hours or until oxtails are easily pierced with a fork. Remove any foam that accumulates on top. Add more water as needed to maintain about 10-12 cups.

Drain oxtails and tripe, reserving the broth.

Blanch

4 cups oxtail broth
3 Asian eggplant, hansel variety
¼ lb green beans
1 bundle bok choy

Trim the ends of eggplants and cut into 1 inch thick pieces. Cut green beans into 3 inch lengths. Trim bok choy and separate the leaves.

In a pot over medium heat, bring 4 cups of broth to a boil. Blanch eggplant for about 1 minute. Remove from broth and set aside.

Blanch green beans for about 1 minute. Remove from broth and plunge in a bowl of ice water.

Blanch bok choy for about 30 seconds. Remove from broth and set aside.

Seasoning

reserved broth
¼ cup rice flour
1 ½ tbsp annatto powder
1 ½ cups peanut butter

In a skillet over medium heat, add rice flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and toasted. In a bowl, combine toasted rice flour and ¼ cup reserved broth. Whisk until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine annatto powder and ¼ cup reserved broth. Stir until powder is dissolved and color has dispersed.

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and ½ cup of reserved broth and stir until well-blended.

Soup

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, medium
6 cloves garlic
black pepper
kosher salt
⅓ cup pecans and peanuts, chopped
⅓ cup bagoong

Peel and thinly slice onion. Peel and mince garlic.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until limp, aromatic, and the onion caramelizes. Add oxtail and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the tripe. Add 5 cups of reserved broth and bring to a simmer.

Stir in annatto water, rice flour mixture, and peanut butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes until it begins to slightly thicken.

Add blanched vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, until heated through and tender yet crisp. Serve hot over steamed rice with shrimp paste on the side. Garnish with pecans and peanuts.