This is Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow Soup). Bulalo is a stew made primarily from beef shank and bone marrow. The flavorful clear broth is made by cooking the beef shank along with the bone that contains the marrow. All the flavor from the collagen and fat of the beef shank melts into the broth making the flavors of this dish quite robust. This particular soup is very popular in the Philippines due to the deliciousness of the bone marrow. It is commonly eaten during cold weather. Enjoy this recipe from all of us at >Filipino Chow.
Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of beef shank
- 1 medium sized piece of ginger, peeled then sliced
- 1 medium size onion, quartered
- 1 head of garlic, crushed then peeled
- 1-2 tablespoons of black pepper corn
- 3 pieces corn on the cob, cut into 2 1/2 inch long pieces
- 1 small bundle of bokchoy, stem base trimmed
- 1/2 small cabbage, cut into wedges
- Patis to taste
- Calamansi and patis combined with chili for a dipping sauce
Instructions
- In a large pot add enough water to cover the ingredients and bring this to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef shank with bone, ginger, garlic, onion, and peppercorns to the pot.
- Let this begin to boil, while skimming off the scum and oil as it rises.
- Cover and simmer for about 2 hours over low heat or until the meat from the beef shank is very tender.
- Add additional water as needed.
- Now add the corn and let this cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add patis to taste.
- Then add the bokchoy and cabbage.
- Let this cook for about 1 minute or until the leafy greens are half cooked before turning the heat off.
- Do not overcook the leafy vegetables or they will become soggy.
- Transfer the soup to a serving bowl.
- Serve with steamed rice and a dipping sauce made from a combination of fish sauce and calamansi if preferred.
In this recipe, I have added ginger as we normally would back home. Ginger adds flavor and aroma and it is good for you. You don't have to add ginger to this soup if you don't want to.