Kare-Kare

What it really is

Kare-kare is a Filipino stew whose rich, mild sauce is built around ground peanuts or peanut butter. Oxtail is a familiar celebratory choice, although tripe and other beef cuts are also used; seafood and vegetable versions exist too. Its signature is the nutty sauce alongside vegetables, with salty fermented shrimp paste commonly served separately to season each bite.

The meat is simmered until tender, often with aromatics, and the broth becomes the base for a sauce thickened with ground roasted peanuts, peanut butter, or a combination. Some cooks use toasted rice flour to adjust the body and annatto for a warm colour. Eggplant, long beans and leafy greens are classic companions, though the exact vegetable selection varies by cook and region. Kare-kare is not defined by curry powder: its name and colour can lead diners to expect a curry, but the peanut sauce and separate shrimp paste give it a different profile.

The dish is commonly served with bagoong alamang, a fermented shrimp paste. That condiment is an important part of the traditional pairing, but it is often placed on the side so each diner controls its saltiness. Recipes differ in the cut of meat, sauce thickness and whether the shrimp paste is mixed in or served separately, so a menu should state what the kitchen actually does.

How it's served

• Bring the stew to the table with the meat and vegetables arranged in the peanut sauce.
• Serve steamed rice alongside to carry the sauce.
• Offer the shrimp paste separately when that is the kitchen's practice, and identify it clearly.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat cut; “oxtail” is more informative than “beef stew” when that is what is used.
• Declare peanuts and shrimp paste prominently. The latter contains crustaceans and may also contain other ingredients.
• Describe any rice flour thickener and the actual vegetables; recipes are not interchangeable.
• Verify stock, condiments and shared equipment before making allergen or dietary claims.

The ingredients, allergens and nutrition shown here describe one oxtail-and-peanut version per 100 g, including a representative sauce and vegetables. Values are indicative estimates only; the proportion of meat, peanut sauce and side vegetables changes them substantially.