I like to experiment with different cuisines but never once attempted any version of Filipino cooking. While surfing Umamicart I found a kare kare simmer sauce and bought it on a whim. Since I didn’t really know what to do with it, I took to my Afterparty slack crew to ask around. A Filipino friend told me I was on the right track and kare kare happens to be her favorite homecooked meal that she relies on her mom to make because it takes quite a while. Thanks to this simmer sauce, the dish is ready in no time and the flavor is fab.
Start by sautéing sliced onion until soft. Add boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch chunks) and brown. (Boneless skinless thighs would be great here too.) When the chicken is browned, add your kare kare simmer sauce and some salt and let go for a bit. Meanwhile, boil 2 red potatoes until fork tender and microwave a package of fresh green beans. Serve over rice.
OK OK I KNOW that potatoes aren’t traditional. But since I like them in African stews and Thai curries, I thought it could be a fun addition. Flavor-wise, it worked really well; however, I wouldn’t say that it needed the taters. There’s a great garlic balance in this sauce – peanut based but not peanut butter tasting. Plus, this sauce is the brainchild of a first gen Filipino-American and was born out of the pandemic – we love to see it. Bottom line: highly highly recommend simmer sauces (especially from local purveyors) when you’re ready to branch out into new cuisines.
Peaches to Apples 