AI-generated photo.
Filipino · Iconic, Pampanga · Philippines
Kare-kare
Kare-kare (kare-kare), a Pampanga plate from Philippines.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Kare-kare is cooked in Pampanga as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the beef until it yields, then thicken the pot with peanut butter. Oxtail is the usual cut. Sirloin is the beef this pantry weighs. Annatto is the old color. Paprika only tints the sauce. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
86
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 40%
- Carbs 12%
- Fat 48%
Suits · Diabetes-friendly
Sugar, fiber, and the starch mix sit in a gentler range. Your own portion still decides the day.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 38.5 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 647 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Beef sirloin189 kcal
- Unsweetened peanut butter118 kcal
- Olive oil31 kcal
- Eggplant13 kcal
- Green beans10 kcal
- Low-sodium beef broth8 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 3.4. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 379 kcal.
Allergens. Peanuts
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 379 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 379 kcal | 19% |
| Protein | 38.5 g | 77% |
| Carbohydrate | 11.8 g | 4% |
| Fiber | 4.2 g | 15% |
| Total sugars | 4.1 g | 8% |
| Fat | 20.3 g | 26% |
| Saturated fat | 4.6 g | 23% |
| Cholesterol | 85 mg | 28% |
| Sodium | 647 mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 930 mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 94 mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3.3 mg | 18% |
| Magnesium | 92 mg | 22% |
| Zinc | 7.1 mg | 65% |
| Vitamin A | 105 mcg | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 16.1 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 2.7 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 47 mcg | 39% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.2 mg | 14% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 25% |
| Niacin (B3) | 15 mg | 94% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 1.2 mg | 72% |
| Folate | 83 mcg | 21% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.7 mcg | 70% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Beef sirloin4 pieces560 g
Unsweetened peanut butter0.33 cup80 g
Eggplant1 eggplant200 g
Bok choy2 heads150 g
Green beans1 cup100 g
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Low-sodium beef broth2 cups500 ml
Sweet paprika1 tsp2 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Olive oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Kare-kare. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh beef sirloin, unsweetened peanut butter, eggplant, bok choy, green beans, garlic, low-sodium beef broth, sweet paprika, kosher salt, olive oil. Kare-kare is cooked in Pampanga as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the beef until it yields, then thicken the pot with peanut butter. Oxtail is the usual cut. Sirloin is the beef this pantry weighs. Annatto is the old color. Paprika only tints the sauce. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Kare-kare is cooked in philippines. Leave the lid ajar so the surface reduces instead of boiling over.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Kare-kare, until the edges take a little color. Keep the heat at a murmur. A hard boil beats tender food into strings.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Kare-kare at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 25 minutes. Kare-kare is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 25 min
- 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSoutheast Asiaicon-philippines-kare-kare-step-4
Kare-kare, step 5
Step 5 · Kare-kare
5Check the center of Kare-kare, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSoutheast Asiaicon-philippines-kare-kare-step-5
Kare-kare, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Kare-kare for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in philippines, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Kare-kare in this shot order and no other: batter or dough smoothed to the corners; a colander and a cloud of steam; cheese melting only after the boil stops; aromatics softening without color. Slate words for the editor: hearthside, vapor, kiln, yarrow, mortar, caramel, tender, kilnfire, amber, nectar.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Kare-kare is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Kare-kare looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Kare-kare turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Kare-kare, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Kare-kare is one of the plates people ask for by name from Pampanga.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer the beef until it yields, then thicken the pot with peanut butter. Oxtail is the usual cut. Sirloin is the beef this pantry weighs. Annatto is the old color. Paprika only tints the sauce.
Allergens in the required list: Peanuts.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.