Bulalo

What Is Bulalo?

Bulalo is a Filipino beef shank soup built on time. Shank and marrow bones are simmered for hours until the meat surrenders and the marrow softens into something you spoon straight out of the bone. Corn, cabbage and other vegetables go in near the end so they stay sweet and fresh against the deep, clean beef broth.

It comes from the Batangas highlands, where a bowl of hot bulalo is the standard answer to a cold morning — which makes it a natural fit for a Winnipeg winter.

How We Cook It at Mar's Sisig

We simmer our bulalo low and long so the broth stays clear and beefy rather than cloudy, and we serve the marrow bone standing in the bowl the way it should be. Nothing is rushed and nothing is thickened — the body in the broth comes entirely from the bones.

Order steamed rice alongside and spoon the broth over it. Many guests add a small dish of fish sauce with chili and calamansi for dipping the beef.

How to Order Bulalo

Bulalo is $24.99 and is listed under Mar's Main Dish. It is one of the larger plates on the menu, so it is usually shared:

• With steamed rice and a fish-sauce dipping sauce
• Alongside a fried plate such as Lechon Kawali or Crispy Pata
• As the soup course in a family-style Filipino dinner
• For takeout on a cold Winnipeg night — packed hot and ready to serve

Where to Get Bulalo in Winnipeg

Mar's Sisig serves Bulalo from three Winnipeg locations, so there is almost always one close by. We deliver and take orders from Garden City, Margaret Park, The Maples, Leila North, West Kildonan, North Point Douglas and the surrounding neighbourhoods, and you can also see every Mar's Sisig location or browse the full Filipino menu.