BOK CHOY EGGPLANT RECIPES

Steps:

• Bundle achiote seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaves in cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine; set sachet aside.
• Preheat oven to 225°F. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium-high. Season oxtails generously with salt and pepper. Cook half of oxtails until browned all over, 8–12 minutes; transfer to a platter. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to pot; cook remaining oxtails. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. fat from pot. (If pot is scorched, clean and start with 3 Tbsp. fresh oil.)
• Return pot to medium-high heat. Cook chopped onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, stirring often, until lightly browned and very soft, 12–15 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 2 quarts water and reserved sachet. Bring to a vigorous boil; cook 1 minute. Return oxtails to pot (add water if needed to just cover). Reduce heat so liquid is simmering gently, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise, checking every 2 hours and adding more water if needed to keep oxtails barely submerged, until meat is just about falling off the bone, 6–8 hours. Let cool. Skim off fat; discard. (Or, ideally, chill overnight and scrape off fat before proceeding.)
• Remove oxtails from pot; pull meat from bones. Discard bones (or save some meaty bones for serving). Strain braising liquid into a large bowl. You should have 6–8 cups; simmer to reduce further or add water if needed. Discard solids.
• Clean pot and heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over medium. Cook sliced onion, garlic, and garlic chives, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bok choy, eggplant, taro (if using), and long beans; cook, stirring often, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add braising liquid and bring to a simmer; season with salt. Cook until vegetables are halfway tender, 6–8 minutes. Stir in peanut butter to dissolve, then add meat. Cook just until meat is heated through, vegetables are tender, and flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.
• Divide kare-kare among bowls; top with peanuts and red chile. Serve with shrimp paste.

Steps:

• Heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan until fine wisps of smoke start to float on the surface. Fry the eggplants for one minute (see the post on flash frying). Scoop out and drain on paper towels. Do not wait until the eggplants are very soft. Eggplants continue cooking in the residual heat even after they have been taken off the pan. Since the eggplants will be stir fried with the rest of the ingredients, it is best to undercook them a bit at this stage.
• Pour off the cooking oil until only about a tablespoonful remains. Reheat the oil. Saute the onion, ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and the white stalks of the bok choy. Stir fry for about 45 seconds.
• Add the eggplants and bok choy leaves. Season with the oyster sauce, salt, pepper and a little sugar for balance. Stir fry for another minute or so to wilt the leaves and cook the eggplants through.
• Transfer to a platter, drizzle with sesame seed oil and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve the eggplants, bok choy and mushrooms in oyster sauce immediately.