Filipino Beef Marrow Soup (Bulalo)
Bulalo BulalôSay it: boo-LAH-loh
Bulalo is the great beef soup of Batangas, in the southern Tagalog region of the Philippines. Beef shank and marrow bones are simmered slowly with onion, garlic and peppercorns until the meat slips from the bone, then corn, potatoes, cabbage and pechay go into the pot. The broth stays clear but tastes deep and beefy, the marrow is scooped out and spread on rice, and the whole pot is a weekend family meal eaten with rice and a sharp fish-sauce dip.
Filipino Beef Marrow Soup (Bulalo)
Bulalo, Bulalô
Pronounced boo-LAH-loh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 20 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the broth
Vegetables and garnish
Method
Soak the beef shank and marrow bones in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain well; this draws out blood so the finished broth stays clear.
Put the beef and bones in a large pot with the 8 cups (2 L) cold water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, skimming off the grey foam that rises to the surface, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Lower the heat to a bare simmer and add the onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Cover partly and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, skimming the surface now and then.
Add the corn rounds and simmer for 30 minutes more, until the meat starts to give when prodded with a fork and the corn smells sweet.
Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides into them with no resistance.
Add the cabbage and pechay and cook for just 4 to 5 minutes, until the stems are tender but the leaves are still bright green.
Season with the fish sauce, taste, and add a little more if the broth needs it; the broth should be savory but still clear and light.
Ladle into deep bowls, giving each person a piece of shank and a marrow bone, scatter the scallions over the top and serve hot.
Regional variant: Batangas Bulalo with Saba and String Beans (Bulalong Batangas)
In Batangas, home cooks often drop 2 peeled saba bananas (or firm plantains), cut in thick rounds, and a handful of string beans (sitaw), cut in 2-inch lengths, into the pot. Add the bananas with the potatoes and the string beans with the cabbage; the banana softens and gives the broth a faint sweetness, so taste before adding the final fish sauce.
Cook's notes
- Never let the pot boil hard after the first skimming, or the broth turns cloudy and the meat shreds before it is tender.
- Scoop the marrow out of the bone with a small spoon and spread it on rice with a little salt, the way it is eaten in Batangas.
- A pressure cooker cuts the first simmer to about 45 minutes; release the pressure, then continue with the vegetables as written.
Serve with
Steamed rice and a dipping sauce of fish sauce, calamansi juice and crushed bird's-eye chili.
Make ahead and storage
Cool, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days; the fat sets on top and can be lifted off. Reheat gently and add fresh cabbage and pechay just before serving.
