Sop Konro (South Sulawesi Beef Short Rib Soup)
Beef short ribs simmered for hours until fork-tender in a deeply spiced, almost black broth scented with lemongrass, galangal and toasted coriander. A bowl of Makassar's most famous dish, best with rice and a squeeze of lime.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Blanch and start the broth
Put the ribs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse the ribs well under running water. This removes the grey scum that would cloud the broth. Return the clean ribs to the pot with the 3 litres of fresh water, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and bay leaves, bring to a boil, skim any foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently, lid ajar, for about 1½ hours.
- 1.5 kg beef short ribs
- 3 litres water
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 5 cm galangal
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 4 bay leaves
✅ Done when: the meat is fork-tender and starting to pull away from the bone, and the broth is pale gold and fragrant
Make the spice paste
In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns for a minute or two, just until they smell nutty, shaking the pan so they don't burn. Blend them with the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, soaked flesh and turmeric with a splash of the simmering broth, until you have a smooth, thick paste.
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 8 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 candlenuts
- 5 flesh
- 3 cm turmeric
✅ Done when: the paste is smooth with no visible chunks of shallot or nut
Fry the paste
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Darken the broth
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Taste and adjust
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Serve
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Blanch and start the broth
Put the ribs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse the ribs well under running water. This removes the grey scum that would cloud the broth. Return the clean ribs to the pot with the 3 litres of fresh water, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and bay leaves, bring to a boil, skim any foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently, lid ajar, for about 1½ hours.
- 1.5 kg beef short ribs
- 3 litres water
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 5 cm galangal
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 4 bay leaves
✅ Done when: the meat is fork-tender and starting to pull away from the bone, and the broth is pale gold and fragrant
Make the spice paste
In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns for a minute or two, just until they smell nutty, shaking the pan so they don't burn. Blend them with the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, soaked flesh and turmeric with a splash of the simmering broth, until you have a smooth, thick paste.
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 8 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 candlenuts
- 5 flesh
- 3 cm turmeric
✅ Done when: the paste is smooth with no visible chunks of shallot or nut
Fry the paste
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Darken the broth
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Taste and adjust
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Sop konro belongs to the Bugis and Makassar communities of South Sulawesi, who have long favoured beef and buffalo ribs cooked slowly in richly spiced broths. Its distinctive dark colour traditionally comes from kluwak, the same fermented nut used in East Java's rawon, giving the soup an earthy depth that sets it apart from lighter Indonesian soups.
In Makassar it is eaten everywhere, from humble roadside warungs to family tables, usually with rice or pressed rice cakes to soak up the broth. A grilled, saucier variation called konro bakar is also a beloved street food made from the same spice base.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's considered one of the signature dishes of Makassar cuisine, prized for its intensely savoury, almost smoky broth and ribs that fall off the bone after hours of slow cooking.
💡 Fun Fact
The dark colour of sop konro is a telltale sign of kluwak, a toxic-when-raw nut that becomes safe and deeply flavourful only after fermentation, a technique found in only a handful of regional Indonesian dishes.
Makassar, South Sulawesi
-5.15°S, 119.43°E
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