Kare Kare (Filipino Peanut Stew)

Brown the beef. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Brown beef shanks in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Build the base. Lower heat to medium. Add onion and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Simmer until fork-tender. Return beef to the pot. Add broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is truly tender, about 2 to 3 hours depending on thickness and cut. If it is not fork-tender at 2 hours, keep going. Skim excess fat if you want a cleaner sauce.

Toast or prep the thickener. If you already have toasted rice flour, you are ready. If using ground rice, grind it as fine as you can (a spice grinder works best), then toast it in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool.

Thicken the broth. Keep the pot at a low simmer. In a bowl, whisk the toasted rice flour (or toasted ground rice) with 1 cup of hot broth from the pot until smooth. Pour in about three-quarters of the slurry and stir. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, so it loses any raw flour taste. Add more slurry as needed until the broth looks lightly thickened.

Stir in annatto powder (start with 1 tsp) or annatto oil. Add more annatto a little at a time until you like the color.

Add peanut butter without clumps. Scoop 1 cup of hot broth into a bowl and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. If it feels too thick to whisk, add another splash of broth. Pour it back into the pot and stir well. Simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add fish sauce if using, then taste and adjust salt.

If it gets too thick: add broth a splash at a time. If it is too thin: simmer longer uncovered, stirring so it does not stick. It will also thicken a bit as it cools.

Cook the vegetables in stages. Add eggplant and simmer 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Add long beans and banana blossom (if using) and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add bok choy last and cook 1 to 2 minutes, just until wilted and bright.

Optional for extra-bright greens: blanch bok choy separately in salted boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then stir it in right before serving.

Serve. Ladle kare kare over rice. Serve bagoong on the side so everyone can season their bowl to taste. Optional but excellent: a squeeze of calamansi or lemon right before eating.