Kare Kare With Beans Baby Bok Choy And Eggplant Recipes

KARE-KARE WITH BEANS, BABY BOK CHOY, AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Bundle achiote seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaves in cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine; set sachet aside.
• Preheat oven to 225°F. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium-high. Season oxtails generously with salt and pepper. Cook half of oxtails until browned all over, 8-12 minutes; transfer to a platter. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to pot; cook remaining oxtails. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. fat from pot. (If pot is scorched, clean and start with 3 Tbsp. fresh oil.)
• Return pot to medium-high heat. Cook chopped onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, stirring often, until lightly browned and very soft, 12-15 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 2 quarts water and reserved sachet. Bring to a vigorous boil; cook 1 minute. Return oxtails to pot (add water if needed to just cover). Reduce heat so liquid is simmering gently, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise, checking every 2 hours and adding more water if needed to keep oxtails barely submerged, until meat is just about falling off the bone, 6-8 hours. Let cool. Skim off fat; discard. (Or, ideally, chill overnight and scrape off fat before proceeding.)
• Remove oxtails from pot; pull meat from bones. Discard bones (or save some meaty bones for serving). Strain braising liquid into a large bowl. You should have 6-8 cups; simmer to reduce further or add water if needed. Discard solids.
• Clean pot and heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over medium. Cook sliced onion, garlic, and garlic chives, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bok choy, eggplant, taro (if using), and long beans; cook, stirring often, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add braising liquid and bring to a simmer; season with salt. Cook until vegetables are halfway tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in peanut butter to dissolve, then add meat. Cook just until meat is heated through, vegetables are tender, and flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.
• Divide kare-kare among bowls; top with peanuts and red chile. Serve with shrimp paste.

KARE KARE PATA (OXTAIL STEW)

Steps:

• Combine the oxtails and water in a large pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer at least 2 hours.
• Skim as much fat from the top of the liquid as possible. Crumble the beef bouillon cubes into the liquid and allow to dissolve. Remove the meat from the broth and set aside. Add the bok choy, long beans, and eggplant to the broth and simmer until tender.
• While the vegetables simmer in the broth, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic in the hot oil until tender. Stir the achiote powder into the mixture to add a little color. Add the peanut butter and stir until it's melted into the mixture. Add about half the broth to the pot; bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the oxtails and cook another 5 minutes before adding the remaining broth with the vegetables. Serve hot.