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About this recipe

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Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Fall-apart beef, marrow-rich broth, whole pieces of corn, tender vegetables, fresh lime, and cilantro turn this classic Mexican Caldo de Res into a complete meal in one steaming bowl. 🍲🥩

Ingredients

• Beef broth 🥩
• 🥩 1.2 kg bone-in beef shank or cross-cut beef shin (2.65 lb)
• 💧 2.5 liters cold water (10½ cups / 84 fl oz)
• 🧅 180 g white onion, halved (1 large / 6.3 oz)
• 🧄 20 g garlic (4 large cloves / 0.7 oz)
• 🌿 2 bay leaves
• 🧂 2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ⚫ ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• Vegetables 🌽
• 🌽 2 ears corn, each cut into 3 pieces
• 🥕 250 g carrots, cut into large pieces (8.8 oz)
• 🥔 450 g potatoes, cut into large chunks (1 lb)
• 🥒 300 g chayote, peeled and cut into chunks (10.6 oz)
• 🥒 250 g zucchini, cut into thick pieces (8.8 oz)
• 🥬 300 g green cabbage, cut into large wedges (10.6 oz)
• 🍅 250 g Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped (8.8 oz)
• 🌿 ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
• To finish 🍽️
• 🌿 Fresh cilantro
• 🧅 Finely diced white onion
• 🍋 Fresh lime wedges
• 🌶️ Thinly sliced serrano or jalapeño
• 🥑 Diced avocado, optional
• 🌮 Warm corn tortillas
• 🧂 Sea salt, to taste

Preparation

• 1 Start the beef broth 🥩 Place the beef shank in a large heavy pot and cover with the cold water. Bring slowly to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
• 2 Skim the broth ✨ As foam rises to the surface, skim it away with a spoon. Continue for several minutes until the broth looks relatively clear.
• 3 Add the aromatics 🧅 Add the onion halves, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and black peppercorns. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer gently for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
• 4 Check the beef 🥩 The beef should be beginning to soften but should not yet fall completely from the bone. Add a little hot water if the liquid level has dropped significantly.
• 5 Add the tomatoes 🍅 Add the chopped Roma tomatoes and Mexican oregano. Simmer for another 15 minutes so the tomatoes soften into the broth without turning it into a thick tomato soup.
• 6 Add the firm vegetables 🌽 Add the corn, carrots, potatoes, and chayote. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes.
• 7 Add the cabbage 🥬 Place the cabbage wedges into the pot and gently press them beneath the surface of the broth. Cook for 8 minutes.
• 8 Add the zucchini 🥒 Add the zucchini last so it remains tender but does not become mushy. Simmer for another 7–10 minutes.
• 9 Finish the beef 🥩 Check the beef again. It should now be very tender and easy to pull apart with a fork while still holding together in generous pieces.
• 10 Balance the broth 🍲 Remove the bay leaves and large cooked onion pieces if desired. Taste the broth and adjust the salt. The finished broth should remain clear, rich, and savory.
• 11 Build the bowls 🍽️ Place a piece of beef in each bowl and surround it with corn, potato, carrot, chayote, zucchini, and cabbage. Ladle over plenty of hot broth and finish with cilantro, diced onion, serrano, and fresh lime. Serve immediately with warm corn tortillas.

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