Oxtail Stew in Peanut Sauce (Kare-Kare) Recipe (2024)

Is there a substitute for oxtails?

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.

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 paprikaSecondly, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Online I found out that the best sub is bone-in beef short ribs or shanks. I have never had an oxtail myself.

...and no, you certainly DO NOT HAVE to use oxtails.It’s all about the sauce

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!

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.

Why not!

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!

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.

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.

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.

I'm allergic to eggplant. Any ideas for a good substitute?

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.

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.

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!

Came out very rich and thick. I would use a bit less peanut in the sauce next time and up the heat a bit.

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.

Has anyone used a pressure cooker? Here in Brazil they usually do oxtail in one - speeds things up.

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.

sub stock for alcohol

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.

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?