Caldo de res

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 3: Meanwhile, blend 2 ripe tomatoes with a ladle of the broth until smooth.

Step 4: Pour the tomato through a sieve into the pot and add 2 corn on the cob and 3 carrots. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Add 3 waxy potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, until they are just starting to soften at the edges.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.