Which Filipino stew is known for a thick peanut sauce and often uses oxtail? Kare-kare.
Kare-kare is a Filipino stew associated especially with Pampanga. Its rich sauce is made with ground roasted peanuts or peanut butter, and it is often thickened with ground rice. Annatto gives the dish its characteristic orange color. Oxtail is a classic protein, though versions may include tripe, beef, pork hocks, or vegetables alone.
The stew commonly contains eggplant, string beans, banana blossom, and Chinese cabbage. It is traditionally served with bagoong alamang, a salty shrimp paste whose sharp, savory flavor balances the mild, nutty sauce. The peanut sauce is the defining feature, not curry powder or coconut milk.
Kare-kare’s exact origins are debated. Popular explanations connect it with Kapampangan cooking, Moro and Malay culinary influences, or Indian sepoys in Manila, but no single origin story is definitive. It is especially associated with fiestas and other celebratory meals.