Welcome to a refined take on one of the Philippines’ most cherished dishes – Camto Soup. This exceptional beef soup represents the perfect marriage of traditional Filipino cooking techniques and bold flavors, combining the depth of slow-simmered bone broth with the complex sweetness of pares sauce.
At its heart is high-quality flank steak, known locally as camto, carefully braised until tender and enriched with aromatics like star anise and garlic. While this dish has humble origins in Manila’s beloved pares establishments, it has earned its reputation as a masterpiece of Filipino cuisine, offering both the comfort of a traditional soup and the sophistication of a well-crafted main course.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, Complex Flavors: Combines the hearty essence of beef bone broth with the sweet-savory notes of pares sauce
- Two-in-One Dish: Enjoy it as a soup or as a complete meal with rice or noodles
- Perfect for Batch Cooking: Makes excellent leftovers and freezes well
- Restaurant-Quality: Recreate the famous taste of Philippine pares eateries at home
- Customizable: Can be adjusted to your preferred level of sweetness and saltiness
Camto Soup
Equipment
- Large stock pot (kaldero) For simmering the bone broth
- Medium Pot For preparing the pares sauce
- Sharp knife (kutsilyo) For cutting meat and vegetables
- Strainer [Salaan] For removing impurities from the broth
- Measuring cups and spoons (Panukat) For accurate ingredients portions
- Wooden spoon (sandok) For stirring without scratching the pot
- Chopping board (sangkalan) For ingredients preparation
- Small bowl For cornstarch slurry
Ingredients
For the Soup (Sabaw)
- 1½ kg beef leg bones buto-buto ng baka
- 700 g beef flank steak or brisket camto o brisket, cut into small strips or cubes
- 8 cups water tubig
- 2 white onions sibuyas, quartered
- 2 whole heads garlic bawang, minced
- Salt asin to taste
- Oil for sautéing
For the Pares Sauce (Sabaw ng Pares)
- ½ cup soy sauce toyo
- 6 tbsp brown sugar asukal na pula
- 3 pieces star anise sangke
- 2 pieces dried bay leaves dahon ng laurel
- 2 tbsp cornstarch gawgaw, mixed in 4 tbsp water
- 1 tsp ground black pepper paminta
- Fish sauce patis to taste
Garnishes
- ½ head Chinese cabbage repolyo, chopped
- 6 hard-boiled eggs itlog na maalat, peeled and sliced
- Spring onions sibuyas dahon, chopped
- Fried garlic sinangag na bawang
Instructions
- Begin by cleaning the beef bones under running water and patting them dry. Cut the flank steak into 1-inch cubes. Quarter the onions and mince the garlic. Mix cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add half of the minced garlic and quartered onions. Cook until fragrant and the onions turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the beef pieces and bones, then cook until all sides are nicely browned, around 5-7 minutes.
- Pour in 8 cups of water and add a small pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat. Let it simmer gently for 1½ hours. Keep an eye on the water level – add more hot water if needed to maintain the same amount of liquid.
- After this time, carefully remove just the flank steak pieces from the pot, leaving the bones behind. Keep the bones simmering on very low heat for another hour – this makes the broth even richer.
- Now make the pares sauce in a separate pot. Heat some oil and cook the remaining garlic until golden brown. Take out the garlic and save it for later. In the same pot, add 1 cup of the beef broth from your simmering bones, the cooked flank steak, soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise, bay leaves, black pepper, and your cornstarch mixture. Let this simmer for 30 minutes until the meat is very tender. Add fish sauce to taste.
- Go back to your bone broth and add the chopped cabbage. Cook for just 5 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still has some crunch.
- To serve, fill each bowl with the hot bone broth and cabbage. Add a generous portion of the flank steak with its pares sauce. Top with sliced hard-boiled eggs, spring onions, and the crispy garlic you set aside earlier.
- Serve while hot with your choice of steamed rice or noodles. For the best experience, let everyone add extra fish sauce or soy sauce to their own taste.
- Remember: For extra-clear broth, keep the heat low and steady. The soup only gets better the next day, so don’t worry about making too much!
Tips from Lola’s Kitchen
- Simmer on the lowest possible heat for the clearest broth
- Don’t skip browning the meat – it adds depth to the flavor
- Add the garlic garnish just before serving to maintain crispiness
- For best results, prepare a day ahead and reheat – the flavors develop overnight
Traditional Serving Suggestions
- With steamed white rice (kanin)
- With egg noodles (mami)
- With pares rice (kanin na pares)
- As pure soup with crusty bread (tinapay)
Troubleshooting
- Cloudy Broth: Strain through cheesecloth or reduce heat while simmering
- Tough Meat: Extend cooking time by 15-30 minutes
- Too Sweet/Salty: Adjust by adding more broth
- Too Thin: Add more cornstarch slurry
Ingredient Alternatives
- Flank Steak: Brisket, chuck, or shank meat
- Star Anise: Chinese five-spice powder (½ tsp)
- Brown Sugar: Muscovado sugar or regular sugar with molasses
- Chinese Cabbage: Regular cabbage or pechay
- Cornstarch: All-purpose flour (double the amount)
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigeration: Up to 4 days in an airtight container
- Freezing: Up to 3 months (store soup and meat separately)
- Reheating: Gentle simmer on stovetop (85°C/185°F)
- Do not repeatedly reheat
Variations
- Spicy Version: Add chopped bird’s eye chilies (siling labuyo)
- Healthier Version: Use lean beef and reduce sugar
- Veggie-loaded: Add carrots, potatoes, and corn
- Express Version: Use pressure cooker (reduce cooking time by 60%)
FAQs
- What is “camto”?
- Camto is the Filipino term for flank steak, a lean cut of beef from the abdominal muscles.
- Can I make this in advance?
- Yes, the flavor actually improves overnight.
- Why use two pots?
- This method allows for proper development of both the clear broth and rich pares sauce.
- How do I know when the meat is done?
- It should be tender enough to easily pull apart with a fork.
- Can I freeze the soup?
- Yes, but store the broth and meat separately for best results.
Nutrition
The Story Behind Camto Soup
In the bustling streets of Metro Manila, particularly in the historic districts of Blumentritt and Espana, you’ll find the origins of the beloved Camto Soup. This dish emerged from the city’s famous pares houses – humble eateries that first gained popularity in the 1970s serving braised beef (pares) with rice and soup. These establishments, often open 24 hours, became havens for night shift workers, market vendors, and late-night diners seeking warming, satisfying meals.
What sets Camto Soup apart is its ingenious combination of two Filipino culinary traditions. It builds upon the foundation of nilagang baka, a clear beef bone soup that has been a staple in Filipino homes for generations. However, the addition of the signature pares sauce – a complex blend of soy sauce, star anise, and brown sugar – elevates it beyond a simple bone broth, creating a dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
The name “camto” refers to the specific cut of beef used – the flank steak, prized for its rich flavor and tender texture when properly cooked. Traditional pares houses would showcase their expertise through their treatment of this cut, transforming the potentially tough meat into melt-in-your-mouth morsels through careful braising and the perfect balance of seasonings.
Over the decades, Camto Soup has evolved from its street food origins to become a beloved fixture in Filipino cuisine. While still a mainstay in pares houses, it has found its way into home kitchens and even upscale Filipino restaurants, where chefs put their own spin on this classic. Some versions incorporate additional aromatics or adjust the sweetness levels, but the essence remains the same – a harmonious blend of beefy richness and sweet-savory complexity.
Today, Camto Soup represents more than just a meal; it’s a testament to Filipino culinary ingenuity and the enduring appeal of comfort food. Whether enjoyed on a rainy evening, as a late-night meal, or as a remedy for what ails you, this soup continues to warm hearts and satisfy souls across the Philippines and beyond.
This recipe preserves the authentic flavors of traditional pares house Camto Soup while making it accessible to home cooks. By following these steps, you’ll recreate the magic that has made this dish a beloved part of Filipino food culture for generations.
