Kare Kare - Filipino Oxtail Stew

Delicious!  Once you start eating this great entree it is hard to stop.  This is one of the great traditional Filipino signature dishes that are so well loved.  This recipe stews for two hours and the exotic flavor combination is very comforting.  So, it is worth the wait!
     Recipe:  Place a few oxtail pieces in a pot.
     Cover the oxtails with water, and a splash of beef broth.
     Add a couple cloves of chopped garlic and a few large pieces of chopped onion.
     Bring the stew to a boil over high heat.
     Turn the heat to medium and stew the oxtails for one hour.
     Add water as necessary to cover the oxtails.
     After one hour, add a few drops of soy sauce.
     Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
     Add a pinch of crushed red pepper.
     Add a little bit of minced ginger.
     Add a generous pinch of anatto powder.
     Start to reduce the broth in the stew and stop adding water to keep the oxtails covered.
     Skim the oils and grease from the top of the broth as it reduces.
     When the broth is reduced by half, add small eggplant that is cut into large pieces.
     Add a handful of one inch long green bean pieces.
     Add a handful of one inch bok choy pieces.
     Turn the heat to low heat and simmer the vegetables in the stew for twenty minutes.
     When the vegetables are cooked tender, add a couple spoonfuls of natural, no additive, peanut butter to the broth while stirring.  The peanut butter will thicken the broth and combine with the stew flavors.
     Simmer for five more minutes.
     Ladle the stew into a large bowl.
     Sprinkle some sliced green onion on top of the stew.
     Serve white rice on the side.
     This oxtail stew is so warming!  The oxtail meat literally falls off of the bones.  The oxtail, peanut butter and vegetables combine to create a very interesting flavor.  The eggplant plays a big factor in the flavor of this stew.  All I can say is that the flavor of this Philippine oxtail recipe is incredibly good!  Yum!   Shawna