Caldo de Costilla (Beef Short Rib Broth)
A restorative, clear beef broth slowly simmered with short ribs, potatoes and long green onion, finished with plenty of fresh coriander. A Bogotá breakfast classic — and Colombia's favourite cure after a long night.
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Start your free weekContinue with free accessBlend the seasoning
Blend 2 of the scallions with the garlic, onion, cumin, achiote and 250ml of the water until smooth.
Simmer the ribs
Put the ribs, the remaining water, the blended seasoning, the whole remaining scallions and the salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Add the potatoes
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Serve
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Blend the seasoning
Blend 2 of the scallions with the garlic, onion, cumin, achiote and 250ml of the water until smooth.
Simmer the ribs
Put the ribs, the remaining water, the blended seasoning, the whole remaining scallions and the salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Add the potatoes
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Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
In cold, high-altitude Bogotá, a hot broth for breakfast makes perfect sense. Caldo de costilla is sold from dawn in market stalls and corner restaurants, where it's eaten with arepa and a cup of chocolate.
It's also famous as levantamuertos — 'raiser of the dead' — the dish people seek out after a night of partying.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's simple, warming and genuinely restorative: tender beef, soft potatoes and a clean, fragrant broth.
💡 Fun Fact
Some Bogotá restaurants open at 4 a.m. just to serve caldo de costilla to night-shift workers and late-night revellers.
Bogotá & the Andean highlands
4.71°N, -74.07°W
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