Filipino Bulalo Beef Shank Soup (Print)
Hearty Filipino soup with beef shank, marrow, and vegetables in rich clear broth.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3.3 lbs beef shank, bone-in with marrow
02 - 1 lb beef bone marrow bones (optional, for extra richness)
→ Vegetables
03 - 2 ears corn, cut into 3-4 pieces each
04 - 1 medium onion, quartered
05 - 1 medium carrot, cut into large chunks
06 - 9 oz baby potatoes, halved
07 - 1 small head napa cabbage, cut into large pieces
08 - 1 small bunch green beans, trimmed
09 - 2-3 saba (plantain) bananas, peeled & sliced in halves (optional)
→ Spices & Seasonings
10 - 10 cups water
11 - 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
12 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis), plus more to taste
13 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish
14 - Chopped scallions, for serving
15 - Calamansi or lemon wedges, for serving
# How To Make:
01 - Place beef shank and marrow bones in a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any scum and impurities that rise to the surface.
02 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Add quartered onion, whole black peppercorns, and fish sauce. Cover pot and cook for 2 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and broth has developed a rich flavor.
03 - Add halved baby potatoes and carrot chunks to the simmering broth. Cook for 10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
04 - Add corn pieces, plantain bananas (if using), and trimmed green beans. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until corn is tender and plantains are soft.
05 - Stir in napa cabbage pieces and cook just until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook to maintain texture.
06 - Taste broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce as needed. Serve hot in bowls, topped with chopped scallions. Accompany with calamansi or lemon wedges for squeezing over the soup.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The broth becomes incredibly rich from hours of simmering beef bones, creating depth that store-bought stock can never match.
- Theres something magical about fishing out tender beef and slippery bone marrow from your own bowl, making each feel personal and rewarding.
02 -
- Parboiling the beef for 5 minutes and discarding that water first creates a much clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.
- Adding leafy vegetables last prevents them from becoming mushy and losing their bright color.
03 -
- A marrow spoon or small cocktail fork makes extracting every bit of bone marrow much easier.
- Squeeze calamansi or lemon into your bowl just before eating for bright acidity that cuts through richness.