Bulalo: Filipino Beef Shank and Marrow Bone Soup with Corn and Cabbage
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
A slow-simmered Filipino beef soup: marrow-bone shanks cooked until falling apart in a clear, peppery broth, with corn on the cob, cabbage and bok choy.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Blanch the shanks. Put the shanks in the stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 10 min, then tip into the colander and rinse each piece under the tap to remove the grey scum. Wash the pot.
- 2
Start the broth. Return the shanks to the clean pot with the 3.5 litres water, the onion and peppercorns. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer.
- 3
Simmer slowly. Keep the pot at a lazy simmer, partly covered, for 3-3½ h, skimming fat and foam often, until the meat is falling off the bone and the marrow is soft. Top up with hot water to keep the shanks covered.
- 4
Season. Stir in the fish sauce and salt, then taste. The broth should be clean and beefy; add a little more salt only if needed.
- 5
Cook the corn. Add the corn and simmer 10 min.
- 6
Add the greens. Add the cabbage wedges and simmer 5 min, then the bok choy for 2 min, just until it wilts but is still bright.
- 7
Serve. Share the shanks, corn, cabbage and bok choy between deep bowls and ladle the broth over. Scoop the marrow out with a teaspoon, and serve with rice, calamansi and the chilli fish sauce on the side.
Storage
Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze the broth and meat (without the vegetables) for up to 3 months. Reheat until steaming hot. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
38.5 g protein for 290 kcal = 13.3 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 53% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.2 g per serving
0.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large stockpot (at least 8 litres)
- colander
- ladle or skimmer
- tongs
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 290 kcal |
| Protein | 38.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 18.9 g |
| of which sugars | 7.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 7.1 g |
| of which saturates | 2.3 g |
| Fibre | 3.8 g |
| Salt | 2.03 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
13.3 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
