Filipino Bulalo Beef Shank Soup (Printable)
Rich beef shank soup with bone marrow, corn, and hearty vegetables in a clear, flavorful broth.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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 and 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
# Steps:
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 and cook for 2 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and marrow is soft.
03 - Add halved potatoes and carrot chunks. Simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes begin to soften.
04 - Add corn pieces and plantain bananas (if using). Also add trimmed green beans. Cook for another 10 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
05 - Stir in napa cabbage pieces and cook just until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. The cabbage should retain some texture and vibrant color.
06 - Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce as needed. The broth should be well-seasoned and savory.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls. Top generously with chopped scallions. Serve alongside calamansi or lemon wedges for squeezing over the soup just before eating.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The broth develops an incredible depth from slowly simmering beef bones, creating that restaurant quality richness you can't fake
- Every bowl feels like a warm embrace, the kind of comfort food that fixes even the worst days
02 -
- For the clearest broth possible, parboil the beef shank separately first, discard that cloudy water, then start fresh with clean water
- The marrow is the prize, so handle those bones gently when serving to keep it intact until it reaches the bowl
03 -
- Make this a day ahead if possible, the flavors deepen overnight and you can easily skim off any solidified fat from the surface
- If you can't find saba bananas, regular plantains work but add them a bit later since they cook faster