Kare-Kare (Braised Beef in Peanut Sauce)

This is my husband's favorite comfort food. Every time he feels stressed out at work, he asks me to make it for him. Since I am too lazy to cook it from scratch, I used the store-bought sauce mix (I know it's such a shame). I also used lean beef to cut away fat since we're going to add peanut butter.

For those of you who are expats like us, Mama Sita's always come in handy in the kitchen. Thank God for our local Asian market who stock-up on this. At least we're not missing out so much of our favorite local recipe.

                       

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Mama Sita's Kare-Kare (Peanut sauce mix)
• 1 Pound Lean Beef, any cut of your choice (the authentic version uses beef tripe)
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic, minced
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• Mixed Veggies: 1 Cup of each at least or more if desired
• String Beans, cut in 2-inch thick
• Eggplant, sliced diagonally in 1/4 inch thick
• Bok Choy leaves
• 1 Medium Banana Blossom cut in half (optional)
• 1/2 Cup peanut butter (Creamy and unsalted version)
• 5 Cups of Beef Stock
• Shrimp paste to serve/condiment
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Boil the beef the night before until soft. Place in the fridge overnight along with the stock. This will allow all the fat to curdle and solidify and easier to remove when ready to cook. I usually do this technique to remove any kind of unhealthy fat.
2. Blanche the vegetables in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Just enough to cook them while still crisp and green. We want it to be a little crunchy when eaten. We don't like overcooked vegetables, hence blanching it. Rinse with cold water immediately after removing from pan then drain on paper towels or colander. Do this in batches. Last one to go is the banana blossom. Arrange in serving platter or bowl.
3. To make the sauce: Saute garlic and onion in a cooking pan with a little bit of olive oil until translucent and fragrant. Add in the beef. Fry all sides in oil until brown.
4. Meanwhile, dissolve the Mama Sita's kare-kare mix in 1 cup of warmed beef stock. Stir in the diluted sauce mix with half a cup of peanut butter and the remaining beef stock (about 3-4 cups and remember to discard the curdled fat). Stir for 5 minutes or until creamy. 
5. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Keep in mind to not make it salty as the shrimp paste will add flavor to the dish when eaten. Turn off heat.
6. Remove the beef from the sauce and arrange in the serving bowl along with the rest of the blanched vegetables. Pour sauce on top. Serve with shrimp paste on the side and hot steaming white rice. Enjoy!