Bulalo: A Single Dish For A Hearty Meal

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Bulalo is all you need for a hearty meal. This soup-based dish has all the components of a great meal for you to enjoy.

Although it has similarities to another local dish called nilaga, it does have the distinct feature of being what it is.

There’s just no way you can ever mistake it for nilaga once you have tasted bulalo.

The best thing about it is that it’s a complete meal. It’s all you’ll ever need. 😃
There’s no need for you to worry about adding another dish because this one’s got it all for you. 😀

What Exactly Is Bulalo?

This is a one-dish meal. It’s not exactly a clear soup since bulalo has a lot of components in it. Nonetheless, you’ve got soup, meat, and veggies in this particular dish.

However, if you separate the soup, it’s pretty light-colored. 

However, if you separate the soup, it’s pretty light-colored.

A bulalo soup in a serving dish showing a bone marrow, a piece of corn, and some strips of cabbage.
The bone marrow is the distinct feature of bulalo. Without it, it’s just not bulalo.

The distinct component of bulalo is the bone marrow. It’s what makes it bulalo. The brave ones eat it like there’s no tomorrow. 

The distinct component of bulalo is the bone marrow. It’s what makes it bulalo. The brave ones eat it like there’s no tomorrow.

Needless to say, the meat used for this dish is from the leg portion of the cow (also known as beef shanks).

This is not just a one-meal dish for Filipinos. Like Soup no. 5, it’s best taken when you’ve had too much alcohol intake.

Although it has no weird component like Soup no. 5, a hot bulalo soup can help you become sober. 

Although it has no weird component like Soup no. 5, a hot bulalo soup can help you become sober.

How It Was Originally Cooked

This particular dish is known to have originated in Tagaytay. To this day, Tagaytay is known to be the place to eat the best bulalo.

The reason for that is because of their quality meats.

Bulalo was originally cooked plain. It didn’t have any veggies in it. It just consisted of meats and some spices. That was it. 

Bulalo was originally cooked plain. It didn’t have any veggies in it. It just consisted of meats and some spices. That was it.

According to the video below, this particular tastes better when cooked over a wood fire.

Our Bulalo Recipe

Tagaytay isn’t the only place where you can get good bulalo. You can also try it in Pit Stop Grill. 👍

Nonetheless, you can also make it at home. 😉

It’s one of the most popular dishes in our home. Here’s how we cook it at home.

Our Bulalo Ingredients

Our bulalo ingredients are pretty simple. Aside from the beef shanks and the bone marrow, we add in some cabbage and corn.

Of course, we can never do without garlic, onions, and ginger. These are critical spices for sauteing the meat.

Of course, we can never do without garlic, onions, and ginger. These are critical spices for sauteing the meat.

Slices of garlic, onions, and garlic.
Garlic, onions, and ginger for sauteing. Excuse the plate. That’s my son’s favorite noodles.
Corn, cabbage, and pechay
Bulalo is a single dish that contains everything you need for a complete meal. You get some corn and veggies.
beef shanks and bone marrow on a green plate.
The main ingredients in a bulalo dish.

The first step is to always wash the meat. That is non-negotiable. 😃

After the meat is washed well, sauté it with garlic, onions, and ginger.

When done sauteing, place the meat in a pressure cooker. This will tenderize the meat. Keep it there for about 30 minutes. Just make sure not to include the bone marrow. 😃

Once you have taken out the meat from the pressure cooker, it’s all set to be boiled together with the bone marrow and corn.

Once you have taken out the meat from the pressure cooker, it’s all set to be boiled together with the bone marrow and corn. You can put in the cabbage a little later so that it won’t overcook.

Boiling bulalo with pieces of corn and bone marrow.
The smell is heavenly once it starts to boil.

Once you have put together all the ingredients, you can season according to your taste. However, at this point, it already tastes good.

After it has come to a boil, it’s all set to be served with rice … of course! 😄 Don’t forget the fish sauce with some chilies for condiments. ❤️❤️❤️

Bulalo The Day After

Since bulalo has some of the most wonderful ingredients soaked in one dish, you can imagine how flavorful it is. Even more so, the day after. 😀

The flavor of the corn, meats, and veggies all blend so well.

Left-over bulalo showing a piece of corn and shredded cabbage and meat in a white serving bowl.
Bulalo still tastes good even the day after. Can’t get enough of it. ❤️

How do you cook your bulalo? Feel free to share your tips and tricks with us. We’d love to hear from you.

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