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Authentic Bicolano Kinalas

Authentic Bicolano Kinalas

Kinalas is a distinctive Bicolano noodle soup originating from Naga City, characterized by its tender meat meticulously extracted from beef or pork head and bones, served over yellow noodles and crowned with a unique deep-brown gravy made with dried shrimp, garlic, and aromatic spices. Dating back to the 1970s, this hearty street food differs from typical Filipino noodle soups through its labor-intensive meat preparation and its signature sauce, which combines umami-rich shrimp notes with a savory-tangy profile from fish sauce and vinegar.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Breakfast, Snack, Soup
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 6
Calories 450 kcal
Difficulty Intermediate

Equipment

  • Large stockpot (for simmering soup) - kaldero
  • Medium saucepan (for gravy) - kaserola
  • Colander (salaan)
  • Sharp knife (kutsilyo)
  • Cutting board (tadtaran)
  • Coffee grinder (for dried shrimp) - pandikdik
  • Measuring cups and spoons (Panukat)
  • Ladle - sandok
  • Serving bowls (mangkok)

Ingredients
 

For the Noodles

  • 500 g medium thickness fresh yellow noodles Shanghai Noodles - pancit

For the Soup (Sabaw)

  • 2 kg beef leg bones with meat - buto ng baka na may karne
  • 500 g beef tendons - litid ng baka
  • 2 tablespoon whole peppercorns - paminta
  • 2 tablespoon sea salt - asin
  • 3 pcs white onion quartered - sibuyas
  • Water - tubig

For the Signature Brown Gravy (Sarsa)

  • 3 cups shrimp stock - sabaw ng hipon
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce - patis
  • 8 tablespoon ½ cup cornstarch - gawgaw
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce - toyo
  • 2 tablespoon vinegar - suka
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil - langis ng sesame
  • 4 tablespoon ¼ cup powdered dried shrimp - hibi
  • 4 cloves garlic minced - bawang
  • 1 medium shallot minced - sibuyas tagalog
  • Salt to taste - asin
  • Cooking oil - mantika

Garnishes

  • Spring onions chopped - sibuyas dahon
  • Calamansi optional - kalamansi
  • Bird's eye chilies optional - siling labuyo

Instructions
 

For the broth and meat (para sa sabaw at karne):

  • Begin by cleaning the beef bones and face meat thoroughly in cold water (malamig na tubig). Place them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a high boil (212°F/100°C), then reduce heat to a low simmer (185°F/85°C). Skim off any scum (langis) that rises to the surface. Add whole garlic cloves (bawang), onions (sibuyas), and peppercorns (paminta). Maintain this gentle simmer for 2-3 hours until the meat easily separates from the bones.

For the brown gravy (para sa sarsa):

  • While the meat is cooking, prepare the signature gravy. In a separate pan over medium heat (350°F/175°F), sauté minced garlic until golden. Add powdered dried shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low (300°F/150°C) and gradually add soy sauce (toyo), beef broth, and cornstarch slurry (corn starch na tinunaw sa tubig). Simmer while stirring constantly until the sauce thickens (hanggang lumapot), about 5-7 minutes.

For assembly (pagbuo ng kinalas):

  • Once the meat is tender, carefully remove it from the bones. This is where the dish gets its name "kinalas." Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
  • Prepare your serving bowls by arranging cooked egg noodles (miki). In each bowl, place a portion of the shredded meat. Pour hot broth over the noodles and meat (maintaining temperature at 185°F/85°C for serving). Top with a generous amount of the brown gravy. Garnish with chopped green onions (dahon ng sibuyas) and fried garlic.
  • Serve immediately while hot, accompanied by siling labuyo (bird's eye chilies) and calamansi on the side for diners to adjust the heat and sourness to their taste.
  • Note: The broth should be kept at a consistent temperature (185°F/85°C) throughout service to ensure the noodles stay tender and the dish remains hot.

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

  • Simmer soup on lowest possible heat for clearer broth
  • Don't skip the initial boiling and rinsing step - it ensures clean-tasting soup
  • Grind dried shrimp as finely as possible for smooth gravy
  • Store extra gravy separately from soup
 

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 35gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 0.002gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 890mgPotassium: 8mgFiber: 3gSugar: 0.02gVitamin A: 0.2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.03mg
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