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Caldo de res
Caldo de res — Mexican beef shank soup with corn on the cob, courgette, carrot and cabbage
Ask almost any family in Mexico about Sunday lunch or a cold, rainy afternoon and caldo de res comes up: bone-in beef shank simmered for hours, then filled with big pieces of corn on the cob, carrot, potato, courgette and cabbage, so each bowl is a meal. Fondas from Monterrey to Mexico City sell it at midday with Mexican red rice, warm tortillas and a dish of chopped serrano and onion. The marrow from the shank bones enriches the clear broth. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in stages, the hard ones first, so everything is tender at the same time and nothing turns to mush.
- Total time
- 205 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the broth
For the vegetables
To serve
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅞ lb bone-in beef shank (chambarete) and 14 ½ cups water in a large pot (at least 7 litres) and bring slowly to the boil over a medium-high heat. Skim off all the grey foam as it rises for about 10 minutes; this keeps the broth clear.
15 minStep 2: Add 1 white onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tbsp salt. Turn the heat to low, half-cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, until the meat is tender when pierced with a knife. A lazy bubble is what you want; a hard boil makes the broth cloudy and the meat stringy.
120 minStep 3: Meanwhile, blend 2 ripe tomatoes with a ladle of the broth until smooth.
3 minStep 4: Pour the tomato through a sieve into the pot and add 2 corn on the cob and 3 carrots. Simmer for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 5: Add 3 waxy potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, until they are just starting to soften at the edges.
10 minStep 6: Add 2 courgettes (calabacitas), 0.3 head white cabbage and 1 small bunch fresh coriander and simmer for 8–10 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and the cabbage is soft but still bright. Common mistake: putting all the vegetables in together. The courgette and cabbage collapse long before the corn and carrot are done.
10 minStep 7: Fish out the coriander, taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Scoop the marrow from the bones into the broth if you like; it is a treat.
2 minStep 8: Serve a piece of beef and some of every vegetable in each wide bowl, ladle the hot broth over, and pass 3 limes, 2 serrano or green chillies, ½ white onion and 12 warm corn tortillas at the table.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caldo de res take?
- About 205 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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