Du Jour Doughnuts
Ligaya Mishan, Du Jour Bakery
155 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
155
45 minutes, plus 13 hours for dough to rest and proof
Oxtail Stew in Peanut Sauce (Kare-Kare)
- Total Time
- About 3¾ hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 5pounds oxtails, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 7tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2red onions, cut into large dice
- 2celery stalks, cut into large dice
- 1carrot, cut into large dice
- ½bunch fresh thyme sprigs
- 4cups red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon (about 1¼ bottles)
- 1cup Shaoxing wine or sherry
- 4 to 6cups stock, plus more as necessary, preferably beef
- 2Japanese eggplants (about ½ pound), sliced ¾-inch thick
- 1clove garlic, minced
- 6ounces Chinese long beans or green beans, stems removed and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 2 to 3pieces baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
- ½cup commercial creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy or Jif
- 2tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- Sugar, to taste
- 3tablespoons achuete (a.k.a. achiote or annatto) oil
- Bagoong (optional)
- 4 to 6cups cooked white rice
For Serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the oxtails well with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot with a lid. Brown the oxtails on all sides then remove them to a plate. (You may need to do this in batches, so as not to crowd the pan.)
- Step 3
Remove all but a tablespoon or so of the fat in the bottom of the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, celery and carrot and cook them until they are soft and aromatic, about 3 to 6 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in the thyme sprigs, letting them just soften, then add the red wine and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Step 5
Add the oxtails to the pot with the shaoxing wine and enough stock to fully cover the meat. Cover the pot and let it cook in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender but not falling off the bone.
- Step 6
About 15 minutes before the oxtails are done, prepare the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 5 minutes until eggplant is softened, then set it aside.
- Step 7
Prepare the beans: Wipe the skillet clean, increase the heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and quickly stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then set aside.
- Step 8
Prepare the bok choy: Add the remaining oil to the pan, cook the bok choy with a pinch of salt until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes, then set aside.
- Step 9
When the oxtails are tender, remove the meat from the liquid in the pot and set it aside on a plate. Strain the fat and any other matter out of the braising liquid and discard it. You should have 5 cups of liquid; if you have less, add additional stock to total 5 cups, then simmer the liquid over medium-high heat until it has reduced by half.
- Step 10
Turn the heat to low, and using a hand blender, mix in the peanut butter and soy sauce and sugar, to taste. Add the achuete oil, blend again and let simmer for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Step 11
Return the meat to the pot and let it cook until heated through, a minute or two. Serve hot with the room temperature vegetables on top, rice and bagoong on the side.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
ED
Is there a substitute for oxtails?
Sally
Achioto/achuete oil is made by steeping annatto seeds in oil until colored (allow to steep until cool before straining out the seeds). Annatto is a mild flavor, used primarily for color. A mixture of paprika and turmeric is an acceptable substitute. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (not hot) or for color only use a teaspoon crushed safflower florets. Zucchini would be a reasonable sub for the eggplant.
Mike
I first cooked a variation of this with a recipe from a Filipino friend, who said she was influenced by a Vietnamese cook. Anyway, don't substitute for the oxtails, which exude much more collagen than short ribs. Makes a big difference in taste. Also substituted turmeric and smoked paprika Secondly, I use Adams (or any other) real peanut butter that hasn't had the peanut oil extracted. Can't imagine why one would introduce added sugar and cheap vegetable oil found in Jiff.
Janice V.
I grew up eating kare kare in family homes. This the first I've heard of anyone putting alcohol in it and I've always enjoyed it without. The step which calls for wine doesn't exist in my mom's repetoire because she (and all the filipino people i grew up around) didn't cook with wine. If what you are loking for is a sub to help lift off the crispy bits I would use a stock or water. If there is one ingredient not to be missed it is the bagoong. A must-have condiment in small bowls at the table.
Bumpadoc
Delicious! Please do not use peanut butters that contain transfats such as those mentioned. Any stirred creamy peanut butter will avoid the danger of transfats.
Christopher Todd
can one substitute freshly ground peanut butter and add as much sugar to make it as sweet as it should be/you like? I just can't see myself putting Jif or Skippy in my food.
Janice
Online I found out that the best sub is bone-in beef short ribs or shanks. I have never had an oxtail myself.
G
...and no, you certainly DO NOT HAVE to use oxtails. It’s all about the sauce
Jo
Thanks Sally for the ideas on the substitute for the oil. It worked a treat. I made this tonight. It was delicious. I must say oxtail is. It my favorite but I thought the sauce was a total winner!
Jes
It shouldn’t be a problem. One time my dad used crunchy peanut butter and it actually made the dish better with the added crunch. Filipino food in some dishes like the sweet flavour but if you’re not for it it should be fine.
Mimi
You could try beef shanks cut osso bucco style or maybe bone-in short ribs. For a flavorful cut that is boneless - chuck roast trimmed and cut into large cubes. Cooking times would of course differ from the original recipe for any substitute cut used.
Maida
Why not!
BB
I made this dish a few times because we really enjoy the wine +soy+ PB combo. Given that it is not a traditional Kare-Kare, I decided to use bone-in beef shank instead of oxtail. Honestly, easier to source and much better to eat. More meat, less fat, less bones...No more oxtail for us!
R
I have been using this recipe in combination with my Mom's classic recipe. It has been a huge success with my family. My Dad prefers the classic "filipino way". but he agreed the new way was also delicious.
Jean
This certainly veers from the traditional kare-kare, such that I would call it kare-kare inspired, but not the dish itself. The traditional kare-kare is unadorned by alcohol, soy, celery, carrots, and thyme (!). My mother would typically use fresh ground peanut butter without added sugar. Achiote oil is used to give it a saffron orange hue. The dish is intentionally left under salted, to make allowances for a small amount of briny bagoong (salted shrimp paste) that is served on the side.
raisa
I grew up eating Kare Kare in Philippines and no it doesn’t normally have celery. Definitely use oxtail for that collagen and melty meat - but really you can use any beef cut that’s slow cooked to tenderness. Definitely use peanut butter - natural or creamy are fine but the creamy ones like Jif are good.
Julie
I'm allergic to eggplant. Any ideas for a good substitute?
Es
Surprisingly wonderful. The sauce is to fantastic; the meat tasty and tender; the veggies complement the dish. Great on the second day too. Oxtails have gotten quite expensive but 3 pounds fed the 2 of us generously for 2 days. I made a smoked paprika substitute for the achuete oil. Found bagoong and used it but would not recommend it. It's really smelly and I preferred an equal amount of fish oil to finish the dish.
MO
You can try veal or beef shanks to substitute for oxtail. The addition of wine made this fish less authentic. I love kare-kare but the addition of the wine changed the dish’s character and flavor for me. Will skip it next time and use broth instead.
Ana Cadena
Loved this recipe! My Filipino friend was impressed that I knew to get Bagoong. It's a shrimp fry, fermented paste that's served alongside as a dip. I purchased the Regular, (as opposed to sweet or spicy), by Tropics, from the refrigerated section at our local Fil-Am; it contains no msg. It's a deeply funky, and contains tiny shell fragments. I find it to be delicious with the sweetness from the peanut butter. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Jacek
Came out very rich and thick. I would use a bit less peanut in the sauce next time and up the heat a bit.
BerkeleyBoy
I cooked the oxtail for 2-1/2 hrs. and the meat was fork tender. Flavor was good, but eating it with a fork and knife was hard because the bones are irregular and the meat didn't readily come off the bone. The next time, I'll cook it longer and shred it off the bone.
RC
Filipinos (like Thais) eat meals with a spoon and fork vs fork and knife, precisely to eat saucy dishes like this with jasmine rice.
Rita
Has anyone used a pressure cooker? Here in Brazil they usually do oxtail in one - speeds things up.
MOL
Definitely a resounding “no!” to Skippy of Jiff. Most supermarkets have stations for peanuts you can grind and make into peanut butter at the amount you want. Failing that, buy raw peanuts and slow roast them in wok or oven. Then run them in your food processor. The roasting heightens the flavor. Well worth the extra step.
audrey
sub stock for alcohol
Nora
As with the other reader, I don't remember alcohol (also soy sauce, carrots, celery nor thyme) being used in kare-kare. I do remember my grandmother adding a little coconut milk but she opts to skip it because it spoils easily with coconut milk.
LS Gourmet
Is the bagoong stirred into the stew at the end or mixed into the rice? I have Thai fermented fish sauce, is that a good substitute?
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