Bulalo

Easy·15 min

A clear, deeply beefy soup of slow-boiled beef shank and marrow bones, simmered for hours until the meat falls apart and the marrow turns spoonable. Corn on the cob, cabbage, and pechay round it out; the prized marrow is scooped onto rice. A specialty of the cool Tagaytay-Batangas region.

Native to Southern Luzon, especially Batangas and Cavite; its name means 'bone marrow' in Tagalog. It differs from nilaga by specifically using marrow-rich beef shank.

The broth is clean yet profoundly beefy, with a luxurious silkiness from the dissolved marrow and collagen. Spoon the soft marrow onto rice for a buttery, savory richness, balanced by sweet corn and tender greens.

Hours of gentle simmering hydrolyze the shank's collagen into gelatin, giving the clear broth its body without clouding it. Blanching and skimming first keeps the soup clean rather than murky.

Variations

with bone marrow served separately, Batangas-style with corn, nilagang baka (without marrow), added saba banana

On the Palate

Where Bulalo sits in the Filipino flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 kg, with marrow bonesBeef Shank

2 ears, halvedCorn

1/2 head, wedgedCabbage

How it's made

8 steps · 15 min

1
5 min
Blanch the beef shank and marrow bones in boiling water for a few minutes, then discard the water.
Watch out
Blanch the bones hard for a few minutes and dump that first water — this pulls the scum out so the final broth stays clear.
2
3 min
Rinse the bones, place them in a clean pot, and cover with fresh water.
3
5 min
Add onion, peppercorns, and fish sauce, and bring to a boil.
4
150 min
Skim off any foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours until the meat is fork-tender.
Watch out
Skim the foam, then keep it at a bare, lazy simmer for hours — a rolling boil clouds the broth and toughens the meat.
5
10 min
Add corn on the cob and simmer until cooked through.
6
4 min
Add cabbage wedges and pechay near the end and cook just until wilted.
Watch out
Drop the cabbage and pechay in only at the very end and pull them the moment they wilt — a minute too long and they go sludgy.
7
2 min
Season the broth with salt and more fish sauce to taste.
8
1 min
Serve piping hot, scooping the marrow out of the bones over rice.