Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Filipino Bulalo Beef Marrow Soup
菲律賓牛骨髓牛腱湯
Recipe overview
Bone-in beef shank simmers until tender with corn, cabbage and pak choi. Gentle bubbling keeps the broth clear and marrow inside its bones.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1200 g Bone-in beef shank with marrow
- 400 g Husked sweetcorn
- 300 g Cabbage
- 200 g Pak choi
- 150 g Onion
Soup seasoning
- 2500 ml Water
- 2 g Black peppercorns
- 20 ml Fish sauce
02
Tools
- Large heavy lidded soup pot
- Ladle, tongs and sieve
- Knife and board
- Fork and thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Inspect shank bones
Ask for shank cross-cuts about 4 cm thick. Inspect the cut faces and remove bone dust and loose fragments.
Step 2
Prepare vegetables
Peel and halve onion, cut corn into sections, cut cabbage into large wedges and wash pak choi, separating stems and leaves.
Step 3
Blanch beef
Cover beef with cold water in the pot, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, skimming foam.
Step 4
Refresh the pot
Lift beef gently with tongs and rinse off foam with warm water without dislodging marrow. Discard water and clean the pot.
Step 5
Start clear broth
Return beef with onion, peppercorns and 2500 ml water; bring to a gentle boil.
Step 6
Simmer gently
Simmer with the lid ajar for 100 minutes, keeping small bubbles and occasionally skimming fat and foam.
Step 7
Check initial tenderness
Beef should be starting to yield to a fork. If very firm, extend 20–30 minutes before adding vegetables, topping up hot water if needed.
Step 8
Add corn
Add corn sections and simmer gently for 15 minutes to sweeten the broth.
Step 9
Add firm greens
Add cabbage and pak choi stems, gently press into the broth and simmer 5 minutes.
Step 10
Finish leafy greens
Add pak choi leaves and fish sauce; simmer 2 minutes until leaves are tender and still green.
Step 11
Check final beef
A fork should enter easily and thick meat reach at least 75°C. If still tough, remove vegetables before simmering beef longer.
Step 12
Serve carefully
Support bones with tongs into deep bowls, then add vegetables and broth. Marrow stays very hot; cool slightly and watch for bone fragments.
Common mistakes
- A hard boil breaks up marrow and clouds the broth.
- Unremoved bone dust gives a gritty texture.
- Vegetables added at the start turn mushy.
- One fixed time cannot guarantee equal tenderness for all shanks.
Tips
Shank age, thickness and connective tissue change simmering time; 135 minutes is a guide for moderate cuts. Extend the beef stage before adding corn if needed. Avoid stirring marrow into the broth and keep bones intact during serving. Taste the broth before increasing fish sauce.
