kare kare two ways

Book exclusive recipe! You can find it on Steak Simplified, our handbook/cookbook/memoir on page 164. Pre-order here.

I believe Kare Kare is one of our most iconic dishes in the Philippines. It’s simply legendary. It’s strikingly orange, and jampacked with flavor. The first thought filipinos usually have when thinking of Kare Kare is that It takes forever. The original cut used is oxtail, but basically you can use any secondary cut that has collagen or connective tissues that can break down such as short ribs, brisket, shank or even beef cheeks! So here I’m providing two options- make a slow cooked version (which takes 3 hours to overnight) or the express version which involves simply making the sauce and topping with a primary cut and all the kare kare fix-ins.

The slow version made with slow braised Short Ribs:

The express version made with an airfryer steak (you can use any steak cooked quickly) served over the same kare kare sauce and vegetables: