Filipino

Serving

Bulalo

Name: Bulalo
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 3 lbs beef shanks with bone marrow intact; 2 sweet corn on the cob, cut into 3-inch rounds; 1 small head of cabbage, quartered with core attached; 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns; 2 whole onions, peeled but left intact; 2 tbsp fish sauce (patis); 10-12 cups water

A rich beef soup made by slow-cooking beef shanks and bone marrow.

180 minutes

Serves 8

Dinner/Lunch

63 min prep

99 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish Seafood

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

5 steps

1
Initial Boil: Place the beef shanks in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat for 10 minutes. Drain the water, rinse the beef shanks under cold water to remove impurities, and wash the pot.
2
Slow Simmer: Return the rinsed beef to the clean pot. Add 10-12 cups of fresh water, whole onions, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours.
3
Check Tenderness: The beef is ready when it is extremely tender and effortlessly falls away from the bone, while the marrow should be soft and gelatinous. Skim off excess fat from the surface of the broth.
4
Cook the Corn: Stir in the fish sauce to season the broth. Add the corn on the cob rounds and simmer for 10 minutes.
5
Add Cabbage: Turn off the heat, add the quartered cabbage, and cover the pot. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes until the cabbage is tender-crisp. Serve the marrow hot, tapping the bone to release it.

Bulalo — plated and served — Serving moment. How Bulalo looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

69/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 53

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

440

Calories

45 g

Protein

3 g

Carbs

26 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Bulalo is a beef shank and marrow soup from the cool highlands of Batangas and Tagaytay, prized for its clear, deeply beefy broth. The marrow bones are the centerpiece, simmered for hours until the broth turns rich and the meat falls off. Corn and cabbage round it into a one-pot meal meant to warm you on a cold day.

Listahan note

This version is about patience: a long, gentle simmer and diligent skimming produce a clean broth, with vegetables added late so they hold their shape.

Technique cues

Simmer low and slow; a rolling boil clouds the broth and toughens the meat.
Skim diligently in the first hour for the clearest possible soup.
Add corn and cabbage near the end so they keep their texture.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start the long beef simmer first, then prep vegetables during the wait.
Make-ahead: Simmer the beef and broth a day ahead; add fresh vegetables when reheating.
Leftover move: Reduce leftover broth and serve over noodles or rice with the shredded beef.
Cleanup rhythm: One large pot; strain and chill the broth so fat lifts off easily.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Beef shanks with marrow

Main protein and base

Purpose: The marrow and collagen are what make bulalo broth rich and silky.

Handling: Blanch first, discard the water, then simmer fresh for a cleaner broth.

Adaptation: Oxtail or short ribs add similar richness.

Sweet corn

Vegetable sweetness

Purpose: Lends a gentle sweetness that balances the beefy broth.

Handling: Cut into rounds and add in the last 20 minutes.

Adaptation: Any fresh corn works; frozen cobs are fine.

Cabbage

Leafy body

Purpose: Adds bulk and a soft sweetness to the finished pot.

Handling: Quarter with the core attached so wedges hold together.

Adaptation: Bok choy or napa cabbage are good alternatives.

Peppercorns and onion

Aromatics

Purpose: Season the long simmer with quiet depth.

Handling: Add whole at the start of the simmer.

Adaptation: A few cloves of garlic can join them.

Fish sauce (patis)

Seasoning

Purpose: Rounds out the broth with savory salt.

Handling: Season to taste near the end.

Adaptation: Salt works in a pinch.

Technique notes

Blanch the bones first and start fresh for the cleanest broth.
Keep the simmer barely bubbling for hours; rushing ruins the clarity.
Scoop the marrow onto rice with a dash of fish sauce for the best bite.

Ingredient swaps

Pressure-cooker direction: Use a pressure cooker to reach tenderness in about an hour, then add vegetables.
Leaner direction: Skim more fat and use trimmed shanks for a lighter bowl.
Seafood-free direction: Replace the fish sauce with a vegetarian fish-sauce alternative or extra soy sauce and a pinch of dried seaweed for umami to keep the savory depth without any fish or shellfish. This one leans on the beef shanks with bone marrow intact.

Serve alongside

Steamed white rice
Fish sauce with calamansi and chili
Bone marrow on rice
Sauteed greens
Cold water
Iced tea
Calamansi juice

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate broth and beef up to 3 days; store vegetables separately.
Reheat gently and add fresh corn or cabbage as needed.
Freeze the broth and beef up to 2 months; vegetables are best added fresh.

Equipment

Large stockpot
Skimmer
Ladle
Fine strainer

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