I just came back from Tagaytay yesterday where I had some bulalo in a small turo-turo style restaurant. The restaurant was recommended by a friend. According to him, locals frequented the place, which to him serves one of the best bulalos in the area. I went to check it out and see what was so special about the bulalo there.
A big bowl, which serves 3-4, costs 330 pesos. It was all good, but nothing really extraordinary. The broth was tasty enough, probably owing to the hours of boiling the bones in it. However, parts of the meat were tough and rubbery and difficult to chew. This made me wonder if I can cook bulalo using a slightly different method.
The cut of meat used in bulalo is naturally tough but has a lot of flavor. Most of the cooks here boil the meat to death instead of simmering it. My plan is to sear the meat then slow cook at precisely 56 or maybe 57 degrees celsius. I am hoping to achieve a tender piece of meat after cooking since it will be cooked medium rare to medium. The only problem I can think of that I might encounter with this method is if the broth will be as flavorful as the simmered one. Only one way to find out...
