Filipino Bulalo Beef Shank Soup (Printable View)

Tender beef shank and marrow simmered with corn, potatoes, and cabbage in a rich, clear broth. A comforting Filipino classic.

# 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 completely with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
02 - Carefully skim off any scum and impurities rising to the surface. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, then add quartered onion, whole black peppercorns, and fish sauce. Cover and cook for 2 hours until beef is fork-tender.
03 - Add halved baby potatoes and carrot chunks to the simmering broth. Continue cooking for 10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
04 - Add corn pieces, plantain bananas if using, and trimmed green beans. Cook for another 10 minutes until corn is tender and beans are bright green.
05 - Stir in napa cabbage pieces and cook just until wilted, approximately 2–3 minutes. Avoid overcooking to maintain texture and vibrant color.
06 - Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce as desired to achieve balanced flavor.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls, garnish generously with chopped scallions, and serve with calamansi or lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bone marrow creates an incredibly rich, velvety broth that you cant get from meat alone
  • Its one of those rare dishes that actually tastes better the next day, so leftovers are a gift
  • The vegetables soak up all that beefy goodness while keeping their own sweet character
02 -
  • Parboiling the beef and discarding the first water results in a dramatically clearer broth
  • Adding leafy vegetables too early makes them sad and limp, they need only minutes
  • The marrow is a prized part, so make sure everyone gets a fair share at the table
03 -
  • A marrow spoon is worth it, if you can find one, it gets every precious bit out
  • Dont rush the initial boil, taking time to skim properly makes all the difference

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