Bulalo Soup: Filipino Beef Shank and Bone Marrow Recipe

Bulalo is a Filipino beef soup made by slowly simmering bone-in beef shank and marrow bones until the broth is savory and the meat is tender. Corn, cabbage, and leafy greens finish the pot, making it a comforting meal served hot with rice and a dipping sauce. Versions vary by household and region; this recipe keeps the broth clear and lets the beef and marrow provide most of its richness.

Ingredients

3½ lb (1.6 kg) bone-in beef shank, cut into thick crosswise pieces
1 lb (450 g) beef marrow bones, preferably cut across the bone
12 cups (2.8 L) cold water, plus more as needed
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered, about 1 cup (150 g)
1 teaspoon (2 g) whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
3 ears corn, each cut into 3 pieces, about 1 lb (450 g) total
½ medium green cabbage, cut into 4 wedges, about 1 lb (450 g)
2 bunches pechay, also called bok choy, trimmed and halved lengthwise, about 14 oz (400 g)
3 scallions, thinly sliced, about ½ cup (30 g)
Steamed rice, for serving
For an optional dipping sauce: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce and 1 small calamansi or lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Blanch the beef. Put the shank and marrow bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Foam and gray residue will rise to the surface. Drain the bones, rinse them under cool running water, and rinse out the pot. This extra step helps make a cleaner-looking broth; it is not necessary to remove every trace of fat from the bones.
Start the broth. Return the rinsed bones and meat to the clean pot. Add 12 cups (2.8 L) fresh cold water, the onion, and peppercorns. Bring just to a boil, about 15 minutes, then immediately lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Avoid a hard, rolling boil, which can break up the meat and make the broth cloudy. Skim off foam that collects on the surface during the first 20 to 30 minutes.
Simmer until tender. Partially cover the pot, leaving a small gap for steam to escape, and simmer gently for 2 hours 45 minutes. Check occasionally that the liquid is barely bubbling and that the bones remain mostly submerged; add a little hot water if needed. At the end of the simmer, the meat should be easy to pierce with a fork and beginning to loosen from the bone. USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef; check the thickest piece with a food thermometer, then allow that rest before serving. For shank to become tender, it generally needs to simmer well beyond the minimum temperature.
Season and add the corn. Stir in the fish sauce and salt, then taste the broth. Add the corn and simmer for 10 minutes, or until it is hot and beginning to soften. Fish sauce varies in saltiness, so use the listed amount as a starting point rather than adding extra salt automatically. If the broth tastes too concentrated, add a small splash of hot water.
Cook the vegetables briefly. Add the cabbage wedges and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pechay and cook for about 4 minutes more, just until the stems are tender-crisp and the leaves have wilted. Keep the vegetables in large pieces so they are easy to lift from the pot and do not dissolve into the broth.
Finish and serve. Taste once more and adjust with fish sauce or salt. Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for 3 minutes after the beef has reached its safe minimum temperature. Scatter scallions over the pot, then ladle broth, beef, marrow bones, corn, and vegetables into warm bowls. Serve promptly with steamed rice and, if desired, fish sauce with calamansi or lime on the side.

Tips

Choose shank with both meat and bone. Crosscut beef shank gives you a good balance of meat, connective tissue, and marrow. Ask a butcher to cut thick pieces if possible; thin slices can become too soft before the broth develops much flavor. Add marrow bones if the shank pieces have little marrow, but do not replace all the meat with bones.
Keep the simmer gentle. A few small bubbles are enough. Boiling vigorously can make the soup cloudy and cause the meat to break apart. If the broth reduces more than you want, top it up with hot water rather than cold, which would interrupt the simmer.
Season in stages. Fish sauce and beef both contribute savory flavor, and fish sauce brands differ in saltiness. Add the measured amount after the long simmer, taste, and adjust near the end. This is more dependable than salting the broth heavily at the start.
Use practical substitutions thoughtfully. If pechay is unavailable, use bok choy, napa cabbage, or a small amount of spinach; spinach wilts much faster, so stir it in just before turning off the heat. Regular green cabbage works well. Lime can stand in for calamansi in the dipping sauce, though it is often a little less floral and aromatic.

Serving Suggestions

Serve bulalo as a generous main course in deep bowls, with a piece of beef, marrow bone, corn, and vegetables in each portion. Steamed white rice is the classic partner: diners can spoon broth over it or eat it alongside the soup. Put extra rice on the table because the broth is flavorful enough to be enjoyed by the spoonful between bites.

For a punchy condiment, combine fish sauce with a squeeze of calamansi or lime. Some cooks and diners add sliced fresh chile, but it is easy to leave the sauce mild and offer chile separately. Provide spoons as well as forks; a spoon makes it easier to enjoy the broth, while a fork helps separate the tender meat from the bone. Let diners handle marrow at the table, or spoon it carefully into the broth before serving.

Variations

Bulalo recipes vary in their vegetables, seasoning, and preparation. Some pots include potatoes, green beans, or additional leafy greens; add firm vegetables such as potato chunks with the corn so they have time to cook, and add quick-cooking greens near the end. A few sliced carrots can add sweetness, though they are not essential to the simple beef-and-corn version here.

For a deeper, more savory broth, use a little extra fish sauce at the table rather than substantially increasing it in the pot. A small amount of sliced ginger can be simmered with the onion if you like its gentle warmth, but it changes the profile from the straightforward onion-and-peppercorn broth. If calamansi is hard to find, lime is a practical substitute for the dipping sauce; lemon works too, with a brighter, less rounded citrus flavor.

You can also make the soup with beef shank alone if marrow bones are unavailable. The broth will still be satisfying, but it may be less rich and have less marrow to serve. Oxtail can replace some of the shank, but it is fattier and its tenderness may take longer, so check the pieces as they cook rather than relying only on the listed time. Keep the vegetables and seasoning approach the same.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Store the soup in a covered container, ideally with the meat and vegetables submerged in broth, for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. If you expect the vegetables to soften too much, store them separately from the broth when practical. The marrow will firm up as it chills; that is normal.

For longer storage, freeze the broth and beef in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality. The cabbage and pechay can become soft after freezing, so you may prefer to freeze broth and meat without them and cook fresh vegetables when reheating. Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight or reheat it directly from frozen over low heat, stirring occasionally as it loosens.

Reheat soup on the stovetop until steaming throughout, and use a food thermometer to verify that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C). Bring only the portions you plan to eat to a simmer; repeated cooling and reheating can reduce quality. If the broth tastes more concentrated after storage, add a little water while reheating, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of beef is best for bulalo?
Bone-in beef shank is the usual choice because it supplies meat, connective tissue, and marrow in the same cut. Ask for crosscut shank with a substantial bone and a good ring of meat. Marrow bones are useful when you want more marrow in the finished bowls or the shank pieces are lean, but they are optional.

Why is my bulalo broth cloudy?
A vigorous boil can emulsify fat and small particles into the liquid. Blanching and rinsing the bones, bringing the fresh pot up gradually, skimming early foam, and keeping the soup at a gentle simmer all help produce a clearer broth. Cloudiness does not by itself mean the soup is spoiled or unsafe; it is mostly a matter of appearance and texture.

Can I make bulalo ahead?
Yes. Cook the soup, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Chilling makes the fat easier to lift from the surface if you want a less rich broth. Reheat the soup to 165°F (74°C), then add freshly cooked leafy greens if you prefer them brighter and firmer than greens that have been stored in the broth.

How do I know when beef shank is tender?
After the long simmer, a fork should enter the meat easily, and the meat should pull away from the bone without much effort. Reaching the USDA FSIS safe minimum temperature of 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest addresses safety for a whole cut of beef, but it does not guarantee the connective tissue is tender. If the shank still feels firm, continue simmering and check again after 20 to 30 minutes.

Can I make bulalo without fish sauce?
Yes. Replace it with an equal amount of soy sauce, then season with salt to taste. Soy sauce gives the broth a darker color and a different savory flavor, so the result will not taste exactly the same. You can also omit the fish sauce and rely on salt, but the broth will have a simpler flavor.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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