Easy recipe for Kare kare Oxtail

Preparation:

1. Clean the oxtail and cut it into pieces if you bought it whole. Wash and drain.

2. Peel the garlic and onion, then chop. Slice the string beans, eggplant, and pechay or bok choy, then set aside.

3. Soak annatto seeds in ½ cup hot water (disregard the seeds).

Cooking:

1. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Put in the oxtail. Bring to a hard boil until you see a bunch of fat or grease forming.

2. Take out the oxtail from the pot and disregard the liquid. Wash the pieces of oxtail until they are fully cleaned with no traces of grease.

3. In the same pot, put back the oxtail; add water to fully cover the oxtail. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender but not falling off the bone.

4. On a small pan, toast the ground rice until it is lightly browned. After that, set it aside.

5. On a separate pan, sauté the garlic and onion. Stir in the shrimp paste for a minute. Pour in 1 cup of broth from boiled oxtail. Add the toasted ground rice and stir.

6. Add the annatto extract from the annatto seeds; if seeds are not available, use annatto powder and start with 1 teaspoon. Stir and cover the pan, and bring it to a boil. Add the peanut butter. Stir well until the peanut butter is fully dissolved.

7. Transfer the sauce into the large pot (where the rest of the ingredients are). Stir.

8. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the string beans, eggplant, and the stem of pechay or bok choy, then cook for 5 minutes, covered.

9. After 5 minutes, add the bok choy leaves and cook for a few minutes. Taste the sauce.

   Note: Adjust the taste as necessary; add another tablespoon of shrimp paste or salt.

10. Add ground black pepper to taste. Stir and mix well to combine. Cover the pan. After 3 minutes, turn off the heat.

11. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot. Happy cooking! Share and enjoy the food.