Philippines – Bulalo

by Fauzan Anandika

In the boxing universe, there is a famous boxer from Philippine. Manny Pacquiao is known as Pacman. He is the only one world champion in eight-division with twelve major world titles. As a world champion, everybody curious about everything in Manny Pacquiao’s life, including his favorite food. As a Philippines citizen, he loved to eat Bulalo.

Bulalo is a traditional soup from Philippine. It tastes savory and uses beef marrow to create its broth. Cow bone that contains marrow boiled in hot water until its collagen and fat liquefying to its soup. Seasoned with shallot, garlic, pepper, salt, and vinegar. To make a complete meal, Bulalo topped with bok choy, egg, chayote, and sweet corn.   

Bulalo once becomes a menu for poor people. In the past, when ordering Bulalo, you will not find any primary beef in the soup that makes it a thrifty menu. But now every restaurant serves Bulalo with a big cut of meats in the bowl and everyone can enjoy the meal. As a tourist, you can eat Bulalo in every big city like Manila or at the hotels.

Eating bone marrow certainly not a healthy choice, but it tastes so delicious. For you who have never been eating bone marrow, you should eat it at least once, and it tastes better with a side of warm rice. To cook Bulalo, you need to buy bone-in beef shank, which a little bit expensive, but the taste is worth it. Follow the recipe below to get the best taste of Bulalo.

Ingredient

• 1 kg bone-in beef shank
• 500-gram beef
• 5 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, chopped
• Juice from 3 lime
• 3 green chili
• 4 saba banana well riped
• 100-gram Chinese cabbage
• 100-gram mustard green
• 100-gram cabbage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1-liter water
• 1 sweet corn, cut into four parts

Hot sauce ingredient

• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 lime
• 5 cayenne pepper, sliced

Hot sauce preparation

1. Prepare a small bowl, add cayenne pepper
2. Squeeze lime and take the juice only
3. Add lime juice and fish sauce
4. Stir until mixed

How to cook

1. Wash clean beef and bone.
2. Boil water in a medium pot with all beef and bone. Cook until the beef tender.
3. Prepare garlic, onion, green chili, and lime juice. Set aside.
4. Peel off saba banana cut diagonally into three parts.
5. Clean and cut all the vegetables. Set aside.
6. Remove the white foam from the beef broth.
7. Add garlic, onions, sweet corn, and chili to the boiling broth. Cook for 5 minute
8. Add banana, cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Add salt and pepper. Adjust the taste.
10. Add lime juice. 
11. When beef already tender, add the vegetables, cook a little and turn off the heat.
12. Bulalo ready to be served with a side of hot sauce.