Bulalo

Bulalo (Filipino Beef Marrow Bone Soup)

A Tagalog classic from Batangas and Tagaytay: beef shanks simmered for hours until the marrow is spoonable and the broth is deeply beefy, finished with corn, cabbage and pechay. Served with a soy-vinegar-chilli dipping sauce on the side.

Prep

20 min

Cook

300 min

Total

320 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) beef shanks (sugpo/paa ng baka), cut 4–5 cm thick, with marrow bone intact; ask the butcher for shanks with large marrow canals
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) extra marrow bones, optional, for more marrow; split lengthwise if possible
• •3 L (3¼ quarts) water, plus more to top up as it reduces
• •1 whole white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• •1 head garlic, top sliced off to expose cloves, unpeeled
• •1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, or 1 tsp cracked
• •3 pcs sweet corn, husked and cut into 4 cm rounds, or 300 g frozen corn cobs
• •1 head cabbage, cut into 4 wedges through the core
• •300 g (10½ oz) bok choy or pechay, trimmed; halve any large heads lengthwise
• •2 tsp fish sauce (patis), or to taste
• •1 tsp fine salt, adjust to taste
• •2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• •1 tbsp fried garlic, optional, for garnish
• •60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce, for the dipping sauce
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) cane vinegar or white vinegar, for the dipping sauce
• •2 pcs red bird's eye chillies (siling labuyo), sliced, for the dipping sauce; substitute 1 tsp chilli flakes

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the beef shanks and marrow bones under cold running water to remove bone dust and loose blood. Optional but traditional: place them in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the bones and pot clean. This gives a clearer broth.
2. 2 Return the blanched (or rinsed) shanks and marrow bones to a clean large stockpot. Add the 3 L water, quartered onion, garlic head, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any grey foam that rises in the first 10 minutes.
3. 3 Once boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer so only occasional bubbles break the surface. Cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours, topping up with hot water as needed to keep the bones submerged. Do not boil hard, or the broth will turn cloudy and the marrow will melt away.
4. 4 The beef is ready when a fork slides into the meat with no resistance and the meat pulls cleanly from the bone. The marrow should look glossy and soft and jiggle when the bone is tapped. Internal temperature of the meat should read at least 90°C / 195°F for collagen breakdown; marrow should be hot throughout, at least 74°C / 165°F.
5. 5 Lift out the onion and garlic head and discard (or squeeze the softened garlic cloves back into the broth). Skim off the surface fat if you prefer a lighter soup, or leave it for richness.
6. 6 Add the corn rounds and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the kernels are tender when pierced with a knife.
7. 7 Add the fish sauce and salt. Taste the broth - it should be savoury and clean, not salty, since the dipping sauce will add more seasoning.
8. 8 Add the cabbage wedges and simmer 3 minutes, then add the bok choy/pechay and simmer 2 minutes more, until the greens are just wilted but still bright. Do not overcook.
9. 9 To serve, ladle the soup into deep bowls, placing one beef shank and a piece of corn in each. Spoon broth over, top with sliced scallions and fried garlic.
10. 10 Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and sliced chillies in a small saucer. Serve alongside for dipping the meat and vegetables.