Do you want to learn how to make kare kare in an instant pot? Well, it is not complicated.
Did you receive an Instant Pot for Christmas? Or did you get one hoping to use it for all your holiday cooking, but was intimidated to use it. Well, get it out of the box and let’s start cooking (magluto na tayo)!
First of all, please read the Instant Pot Manual. This post will not discuss the different parts and features of the Instant Pot.
What is Kare Kare?
Kare Kare is a popular Filipino stew made with pork, beef, chicken or seafood with thick savory peanut sauce. Kare Kare is not complete without a side of shrimp paste (bagoong).
Be ready to eat a lot of white rice when having Kare Kare.
What Vegetables to use in Kare Kare?
If you are so focus not to have carbs, then double up on vegetables. Eggplant, long beans, pechay, squash or bok choy are a few of the vegetables that complements this dish.
For this post, I am making Pork Belly Kare Kare with bok choy. This dish has many variants and cooked differently from region to region.
One good example is my uncle. He marinates the pork in fish sauce before cooking and it is insanely delicious.
You might be interested in my other two postings cooked on stove top: Oxtail Tripe Kare Kare and Seafood Kare Kare.
Cooking Oxtail Kare Kare in an instant pot would be ideal. Normally, it takes an hour or so for Oxtail to get tender. But cooking with an instant pot, it will probably take between 30 to 40 minutes only. That’s a huge difference. Definitely saves time and electricity. That would be another post.
Yes, I would cook Kare Kare again in my Instant Pot from start to finish.
For some dishes, it is a one pot meal while for others it is great to use only to tenderize the meat.
I have made sisig with an instant pot but I cannot get the pork belly crispiness using the SAUTE program. After PRESSURE COOK, It is still best to fry the pork belly in a fryer or on the stove then finish cooking the dish in the instant pot. You’ll see it in my video when I am ready to post Instant Pot Sisig.
How to Cook Kare Kare in an Instant Pot
Put your Instant Pot to work. Try this Kare Kare recipe today!
Recipe
Kare Kare Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork belly sliced
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 medium onion minced
- 5 cloves garlic crushed and minced
- ¼ to ½ cup peanut butter or ½ cup ground peanuts
- 4 teaspoons roasted ground rice
- 1 tablespoon annatto powder or paprika or ⅓ cup annatto seeds achuete diluted in ⅓ cup warm water
- 1 ½ cups water or broth
- 4 bundles bok choy
- ½ cup shrimp paste bagoong cooked
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or salt to taste
Instructions
- Plug Instant Pot and Press Saute.
- Set time to 20 minutes. Display will show “HOT”.
- Add oil.
- Saute onion until soft.
- Add garlic and cook until golden.
- Add pork belly.
- Once pork belly turns pale add annatto powder and peanut butter. Mix well.
- Pour water.
- Season with salt or fish sauce.
- If time hasn’t elapsed press CANCEL to stop Saute program.
- Place the Instant Pot lid.
- Turn the Steam Release Handle to Sealing.
- Press Pressure Cook.
- Set to Normal and time to 35 minutes.
- Once pressurize the float valve will rise. Note: Do not put your face or hand in this area. You can get burn.
- Display will show a countdown. Once time has elapsed and display shows the letter “L” and numbers.
- Press CANCEL to stop the program.
- Wait until float valve goes down. Once down turn the Steam Release Handle to Venting. Note: You can manually release the steam instead of waiting for the float valve to go down. Read the manual.
- Now it is Ok to open the lid.
- Meat should be tender. Transfer meat to a serving plate. Note: If meat is not tender yet read the recipe notes.
- Press SAUTE and set time to 20 minutes. Display will change to HOT.
- Add veggies. When cook transfer to serving plate.
- Let sauce simmer until it is reduced.
- Stir-in ground roasted rice to thicken sauce.
- Press CANCEL if time has not elapsed yet.
- Transfer sauce to serving plate.
- Serve Kare Kare hot with a side of bagoong (shrimp paste). Enjoy!
Notes
- I use Instant Pot 7 in 1 6 quarts Model IP-DUO60 v3. Serves up to 6 people.
- When pressing a cooking program and time has elapsed and you are not done yet just press again the cooking program and set the time. Example: If Pressure Cook time has elapsed and meat is not tender yet. Press again PRESSURE COOK and you need to estimate the time needed to make it tender. I usually start low. 5 minutes makes a big difference so I usually start with 3 minutes.
- If you are done with the cooking program but the time has not elapsed yet press CANCEL.
- The cooking time listed is amount of ingredients in this recipe. If you double the recipe you need to estimate the time. You don't necessarily double the cooking time.
- It will be a trial and error the first time you cook a dish in the instant pot. Eventually after cooking a few dishes you have an idea how much time to cook a certain dish.
Nutrition
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