Kare Kare with Beef Shank (in Peanut Sauce)

Step 1

Prepare the ingredients: Mince the garlic and chop the onion. Dissolve the annatto powder in a tablespoon of warm water. Dissolve the cornstarch or rice flour in about 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Coarsely grind the peanuts in a food processor. Alternatively, you can place them in a zip-top bag and use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to crush them.

Step 2

Prepare the vegetables:  You can do this ahead and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Or make them while the meat is simmering away.Start by washing the sitaw or string beans, Shanghai baby bok choy, and eggplant. Trim the ends of the sitaw and cut them into 2.5” sections. Cut the bok choy in half lengthwise, if they are too big. Be sure to rinse the bok choy under running water to remove the dirt from inside the stalks. Trim the base, if dirty.Boil a pot of water for blanching. To make your greens even greener, add a pinch of baking soda to the water. Blanch the sitaw by plunging them in the boiling water for 2 minutes (or 3 minutes if you are serving them on the side). Transfer to an ice bath (water+ice) to stop the cooking process. Plunge the bok choy in the same boiling water for one minute. Transfer to the ice bath. Drain and set them aside.Slice the eggplant diagonally into 1 inch-thick pieces. Over medium-high heat, add some oil and fry the eggplant until browned on both sides. Place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil and set aside.

Step 3

Prepare the meat: Trim off any excess fat from the beef shank. Cut them into 1 ½ inch-thick pieces.

Step 4

Cook: Season one side of the meat with salt and pepper. Set a 4-quart stockpot with a lid or a Dutch oven of the same size to medium-high heat. Add oil just enough to cover the bottom. Place the meat in the oil, with enough spaces in between them. Do not overcrowd – sear in batches. Brown the meat on both sides but don't cook all the way through. It will take 2-3 minutes on each side. Add more oil as needed. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.On the same pot, add oil (if needed) and sauté the garlic and onion until softened for about a minute. Bring the meat back to the pot. Add enough water to cover the meat, about 6 cups. Stir it up and wait until it starts to boil.Skim off the scum and fat that rise to the surface using a large spoon or a skimmer. Add some salt – I used about 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt (use less for table salt). You can always add more later. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and let it simmer until the meat is tender for 2 hours or so.Using a fork, check if the meat is tender. Cook longer as needed. Add more water if necessary – there should be enough liquid left to cover all the meat.When the meat is tender, mix the annatto in. Add the peanut butter, ground peanuts, and sugar. Mix it up until the sauce becomes smooth.Add the cornstarch or rice flour slurry. Mix it up and let it thicken for about a minute. Check the consistency – add more slurry if you want it thicker. Consider that the sauce does get thicker as it cools. Give it a taste – it has to be slightly sweet and just barely salty (the sautéed shrimp paste which will be added on later is already very flavorful).At this point, you can add some or all of the vegetables. You also have the option of serving the vegetables separately. Once the vegetables are in, gently mix and turn off the heat.

Step 5

Serve: This has to be enjoyed with a steaming bowl of rice and a side of sautéed bagoong alamang or shrimp paste. It is quite salty so add sparingly.