Most of you dear readers know that I don't eat pork or I avoid it as much as possible. Pork, innards and other foods just don't jive with my system, especially the innards. Kare-kare is made with beef innards, so how do I still enjoy this Filipino favorite? By substituting, of course!
When I make kare-kare, I use beef. Sometimes I use seafood - shrimps, fish, squid. And sometimes I just use vegetables or a combination of any of the above. This time, I used shrimps and veggies.
I never tried doing kare-kare from scratch. I just use Mama Sita's kare-kare mix and follow the cooking directions at the back of the pouch. It's quite easy. Just learn how to substitute ingredients and alter the recipe based on what you feel is right. For international readers, you can get a pack of kare-kare mix at your local Asian/Filipino grocery store.
I tend to overcook my vegetables so if you think that the veggies are a bit overcooked, that was done on purpose. Oh, and I almost forgot. Even though I use a kare mix, I still add about 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter to the mixture to make it thicker. International readers, don't be grossed out. You get a peanutty taste just like the dip for chicken satay. But this dish is bland. You only taste a bit of the sweetness of the peanut butter that complements the sweetness of the vegetables and shrimps quite nicely. Filipinos like the combination of sweet and salty and so we serve bagoong or fermented shrimps with this dish. Sarap! Try serving this with green mangoes and the chili prawn I mentioned in my earlier post.
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