Filipino Bulalo Beef Shank Soup (Print)

Tender beef shank and marrow simmered with corn, potatoes, and vegetables in a savory clear broth

# What You Need:

→ 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Place beef shank and marrow bones in a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
02 - Skim off any scum and impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer, then add quartered onion, whole peppercorns, and fish sauce. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until beef is fork-tender.
03 - Add halved potatoes and carrot chunks. Simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
04 - Add corn pieces and plantains (if using) along with trimmed green beans. Cook for another 10 minutes.
05 - Stir in napa cabbage pieces and cook just until wilted, approximately 2-3 minutes. Avoid overcooking to maintain texture.
06 - Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce as needed to achieve desired flavor balance.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls, top with chopped scallions, and serve alongside calamansi or lemon wedges for squeezing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Theres something magical about bone marrow melting into hot broth that turns simple soup into pure luxury
  • The vegetables cook just enough to stay vibrant while absorbing all that beefy goodness
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to really settle in
02 -
  • Parboiling the beef briefly and discarding that first water makes for a dramatically clearer broth if presentation matters to you
  • Leafy vegetables go in last because they turn sad and gray if cooked too long in the hot broth
  • Bone marrow is the prize here — some people wait until the soup is on the table to carefully scoop it out and enjoy it separately
03 -
  • Let the broth cool completely and refrigerate overnight — the fat rises to the top and solidifies so you can remove it easily for a lighter soup
  • If you can't find saba bananas, regular plantains work but they're slightly less sweet and more starchy
  • A marrow spoon or small cocktail fork makes extracting the bone marrow much easier and less messy

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