Kare-kare

Description:
Any Philippine fiesta, particularly in the Tagalog region, is not complete without Kare-Kare, the stew with a rich nutty sauce and served with a variety of vegetables

Ingredients:
# 1/2 kilo beef (tender cut from sirloin or round) cut into chunk cubes

# 2 oxtail

# 2 pig hocks

# 7 cups water

# Pinch salt & pepper

# 1/2 cup oil

# 4 tablespoons atsuete oil

# 2 heads garlic (minced)

# 2 medium sized onions (diced)

# 1/2 cup bagoong alamang

# 3 cup ground nuts or 4 cups of peanut butter

# 1/4 cup ground toasted rice

# 5 pieces eggplant (sliced into rings)

# 1 banana bud (cut to almost proportional to eggplant slices, blanch in boiling water)

# 1 bundle sitaw (string beans) cut to 2" long

Directions:
1 In a casserole, boil oxtail, hocks, beef. Lower fire and let simmer until all meat is tender and cooked. Remove all scum that rises to the surface.

2 Take out the meat, set aside, keep stock for later.

3 In another casserole, heat oil and atsuete oil and saute garlic, onion and bagoong alamang and toasted rice and nuts (if using nuts)

4 Add oxtail, hocks and beef, pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper and add peanut butter (if using peanut butter)

5 Simmer until all flavors are incorporated, then add the vegetables.

6 Make sure vegetables is well cooked and not soggy.

7 Serve hot with bagoong with calamansi and chili pepper.