Smoked Brisket Kare Kare
Smoked Brisket Kare Kare
PASSING DOWN & CREATING TRADITION Pt 2
In Filipino food culture, traditions are often passed down verbally or by example. It isn’t unusual to get a response from your mom, lola or tita when asking how to cook something to just get a list of ingredients with no measurements and a quick explanation saying things like “sigue, gigisahin mo lang yuon” (you will just sauté ) or “sigue, pinakukuluan mo lang yuon” (you will just boil). I know it’s a source of frustration for any one of us when trying to learn how to cook our family’s recipes because those versions are so personal. These days with technology, it’s a little easier to cook with family so it was amazing to see when spending some time with Brady Tuazon documenting this recipe that we got to spend time with his mom cooking too, even if it was via FaceTime. For Brady and his family, cooking is a family affair. It’s how they stay in touch, it’s how they connect and show love and it crosses generations. He collaborated with his son to fine tune the Annatto Rubbed Smoked Brisket that accompanies this recipe. For the Kare Kare, he evolves it to be more modern. It’s a deconstructed take on the traditional Filipino dish but the way he makes it is very much rooted in how his mom makes the dish. It’s honed by her standard and her palate through Brady.
Kare Kare is a thick, savory, collagen rich peanut stew that often uses oxtail, tripe and tendon. Traditionally, peanuts are ground into a paste, ground rice thickens the stew and Annatto gives it that rich burnt orange color. These days, we use really good peanut butter instead of ground peanuts and rice. It is also usually accompanied by a bounty of vegetables like bok choy, eggplant, long beans, okra and even banana heart. To help cut through the richness of the dish, we eat Kare Kare with rice and also a little side dish of Bagoong or fermented shrimp paste. The briny, salty taste cuts right through and punctuates every bite.
Brady’s version takes many of the traditional elements and evolves it. He takes his time, making this really about the processes and you feel the care and love. It’s an ode to slow food. For the protein, he uses an Annatto Rubbed Smoked Brisket he makes 2-3 days in advance. He also roasts the peanuts that garnishes the dish. Also, instead of just blanching or steaming the vegetables, he grills the bok choy and dresses it with a vinaigrette. We collaborated on making a roasted eggplant relish combining the eggplant and the bagoong. He also sautés the bagoong as instructed by his mom. There are no short cuts here (although we provide some tips in the recipe). If you are making this, enjoy the process, make “kwento” or tell stories while you are cooking. Spend time with family and cook from your heart.
♥️ Team Tikim
INGREDIENTS
Annatto Rubbed Smoked Brisket or your Smoked Brisket of choice*
1 bundle Long Beans
1 whole Smoked Onions (optional)*
GARLIC CHIPS*
1 head Garlic, peeled and sliced into thin slivers
1/2 cup Neutral Oil
ROASTED PEANUTS*
3 cups Peanuts, shelled
1 tbsp Neutral Oil
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Chili Flakes
GRILLED BOK CHOY & VINAIGRETTE
8 pcs Baby Bok Choy, cut in half lengthwise
1 tbsp Coconut Sugar*
5 tbsp Neutral Oil
2 tbsp Cane Vinegar
1 Shallot, finely minced
SAUTÉED BAGOONG
1 jar Barrio Fiesta Salted Shrimp Fry Bagoong (Alamang)*
2 tbsp Confit Garlic
1 tbsp Garlic Oil
1/3 cup Cane Vinegar
1 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
EGGPLANT & BAGOONG RELISH
2 Asian Eggplants, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp Sautéed Bagoong (see above)
2 tbsp Garlic Oil
KARE KARE SAUCE
4 oz Annato Seed*
Smoked Tallow (optional)*
3 cups Chicken Broth, warmed
1/2 cup Peanut Butter (+ more if needed)
1/2 large Onion, diced
1 head Garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp Fish Sauce (+ more if needed)
NOTE: This recipe serves 6 people.
BRISKET - We have a separate recipe for making the brisket, you can find it here. The recipe uses Annatto as part of the rub which is also used in Kare Kare so the flavors are complimentary. If you are planning to smoke your own brisket, plan to make it at least 48 hours in advance prior to making this dish. You can also use your favorite BBQ Brisket recipe or one purchased from your favorite BBQ joint. This is a fun one to experiment with.
SMOKED ONIONS - If you are smoking your own brisket, it is easy enough to smoke onions as well. If you are purchasing a smoked brisket already, this may be omitted.
GARLIC CHIPS & ROASTED PEANUTS - These two components can be prepared a day ahead.
COCONUT SUGAR - Palm Sugar or Light Brown Sugar can be substituted in its place.
BAGOONG - Brady’s family likes to sauté their bagoong from scratch so we are including it in this recipe. Their preferred brand is linked in the ingredients list above. Good quality already sautéed bagoong (Ginisang Bagoong) can also be purchased made by Barrio Fiesta and Kamayan. This can also be substituted to simplify the recipe. If you will be using already sautéed bagoong, you can omit STEP 7 in this recipe.
ANNATTO SEED - This spice is mainly used as a natural food color in Filipino cuisine but it does have a distinct aroma and flavor. It is slightly nutty and peppery. It can be found in seed form or powder form. For this recipe, the seed form is used to extract oil as well as a color, texture and flavoring agent to the rub. Since this smoked brisket recipe is developed to go with Kare Kare, the use of Annatto reinforces the Annatto that is also used in Kare Kare.
SMOKED TALLOW - If you are smoking your own brisket, this is easy enough to make from the fat trimmings of the brisket. If you are omitting this step, you may need to use beef bone broth instead of chicken broth.
METHOD
STEP 1
ROAST THE PEANUTS.
Place peanuts in a single layer on a sheet pan. Season with Granulated Garlic, Chili Flakes and toss in oil. Roast in oven on 350ºF for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven then cool.
TIP: As previously noted, this step can be done a day in advance.
STEP 2
MAKE THE GARLIC CHIPS.
Place oil and garlic slices in a cold sauce pan and gently heat on medium heat. When garlic is brown, quickly remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel and set aside.
Additionally, the oil left over is garlic infused. Put through a coffee filter to remove any small garlic pieces that cannot be removed with a slotted spoon. Place in a small container or jar for later use in the dish.
TIP: As previously noted, this step can be done a day in advance.
STEP 3
SOAK & PREP THE ANNATTO.
Soak Annato seeds in a cup of warm water for a few hours. Right before use, use your fingertips to squeeze the seeds to release the oil which will help color the water. Strain and set aside.
TIP: Once you’ve extracted the color and strained the liquid, soak the Annatto seeds in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside. The second extraction is good to have in case more color is needed when making the sauce.
STEP 4
WARM THE BRISKET.
Heat oven to 175ºF. Remove plastic wrap and place the brisket still covered in butcher paper on a sheet pan and heat for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, turn off oven and remove the brisket when you are ready to slice.
STEP 5
BLANCH & BRAID THE LONG BEANS.
Bring heavily salted water to a boil in a large stock pot. Prepare an ice bath. When water is boiling, place the long beans into the stock pot for 3 minutes or until just cooked. Quickly remove and place in ice bath to stop the cooking. When cool, trim the ends and braid. Set aside.
TIP: It’s very simple to braid long beans but it does require that it is blanched prior to braiding so it is more pliable. There are also other ways to present long beans like knotting them which is more typical. Here is a YouTube link to one version.
STEP 6
GRILL THE BOK CHOY.
Heat up your grill (outdoor or stove top). Generously season the bok choy with salt and toss in olive oil. Place on the grill until the greens are nicely charred but not burned.
To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, add the coconut sugar and slowly drizzle the Neutral Oil and Vinegar until emulsified. Add shallots and mix thoroughly. Set aside. Drizzle on grilled bok choy right before serving.
STEP 7
SAUTÉ THE BAGOONG.
In a large sauce pan on medium high heat, add the bagoong and vinegar. Let it come to a boil then add garlic confit, garlic oil and dark brown sugar. Cook until it darkens or caramelizes. Set aside.
TIP: You can omit this step if you use prepared Sautéed Bagoong. See note in the Ingredients section for links to already Sautéed Bagoong or Ginisang Bagoong.
STEP 8
MAKE THE EGGPLANT & BAGOONG RELISH.
Salt the eggplant. In a sauce pan, heat up 2 tbsp of garlic oil and sauté the eggplant until cooked. Add more oil as needed as the eggplant absorbs the oil. Add 2 tbsp of sautéed bagoong to the mixture. To caramelize, place under a broiler until caramelized (around 2 minutes). Do not walk away as this can happen fast. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
STEP 9
MAKE THE KARE KARE SAUCE.
In a small sauce pan, heat up stock until warm.
In a separate deep sauce pan, heat up enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot, add garlic and saute until lightly browned then add onions and cook until translucent and then deglaze with the chicken stock. Strain the Annato liquid into the sauce pan and add the peanut butter and the beef tallow. Mix and bring to a low boil for about 5 minutes. Check the sauce consistency, it should coat a wooden spoon but still remain loose. Add peanut butter to thicken or stock to loosen as needed. Season with fish sauce.
TIP: Sautéed Bagoong may also be added to the sauce if more depth of flavor is needed beyond fish sauce. The variables can vary due to the peanut butter, stock, if tallow is used so it is critical to taste the sauce along the way and make seasoning adjustments as needed.
STEP 10
ASSEMBLE THE DISH.
Remove the Brisket from the oven and slice brisket into 1/4 inch slices and set aside for assembly.
In a large platter, add a layer of sauce to the bottom of the platter. Arrange the vegetables (braided long beans, grilled bok choy, smoked onions and bagoong eggplant) into groups around the sauce and place brisket in the center. Finish with more sauce as need then garnish with roasted peanuts and fried garlic.
Serve with steamed rice and bagoong and sauce on the side.