Preparing Bone Marrow: Oven-Roasted Bone Marrow
Bone marrow; the butter of the gods. It’s a trendy “odd bit” that graces the menu of many restaurants. But bone marrow is also a nutrient-dense superfood that is very easy and quick to prepare yourself at home. This recipe shows you one method — simple roasted bone marrow.
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Bone marrow was really rediscovered in recent years and elevated back to the status it has enjoyed in the past — namely, a delicious and nutritious treat. As with all trendy things, the price has risen dramatically to reflect this newfound modern status too. But you can still find bone marrow on the cheap if you look for it.
For even more appetizer ideas, you can try my delicious bacon-wrapped dates, my simple cream cheese board, and rustic pork & mushroom pate recipes.
What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like?
You are most likely to have access to beef bone marrow, so this recipe assumes beef. However, you can get it from other ruminants as well as wild game meats like elk.
Bone marrow has a distinct flavour that is reminiscent of brown butter and chestnuts.
The taste is sweet, mild, and creamy and will vary from one animal of the same species to the next. Veal, for example, will have the mildest flavour profile.
Sources of Bone Marrow:
- Shanks
- Neck Bones
- Oxtail
- Knuckles
- Spine
The Different Ways To Prepare Bone Marrow
There are many ways to prepare bone marrow, including:
- Roasted bone marrow
- Smoked bone marrow
- Soup
- Sauces
Roasted Bone Marrow
Roasted bone marrow is the quickest and simplest way to prepare this “odd bit.” And since bone marrow doesn’t require much in the way of seasoning, it is very easy for anyone to attempt on their own.
All you need is a baking sheet, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Bone Marrow Nutrition
Bone marrow contains some powerful and important nutrients.
I consider it an important, nutrient-dense superfood and include it in my diet on a regular basis.
Collagen
Collagen is the big one — bone marrow is brimming with collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen has been proven to improve the texture and elasticity of ageing skin, and to even reduce the appearance of deeper wrinkles (but not fine lines).
Collagen can greatly improve joint health, recovery, and mobility.
Bone marrow is also a rich source of glycine, glucosamine, chondroitin, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), is a type of fat that decreases inflammation in the body and enhances the immune function.
Glycine
Glycine is the main amino acid of collagen.
Glycine is needed to produce a powerful antioxidant called glutathione which protects your cells from free radical damage — a potential underlying factor in many diseases.
Glycine is also needed to make creatine in your body, a compound which provides your muscles with energy.
It has also been studied for potential effects on bone health, brain function and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
There are even many sleep benefits associated with glycine — try a cup of bone broth rich in bone marrow before bedtime each night and see if you notice a difference in your quality of sleep.
Glucosamine
Glucosamine plays a hugely important role in building (and rebuilding) cartilage, it is a popular supplement to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Chondroitin is another vital part of the cartilage. Studies have found that taking chondroitin can prevent cartilage from breaking down and can also stimulate its repair mechanisms.
As well as the above — bone marrow also small amounts of the B vitamins, protein, iron, and more.
This is why I consider it a superfood, as much as I loathe that word.
Serving Bone Marrow
Serve roasted bone marrow as an appetizer.
I usually just eat it straight-up with a spoon — they make special bone marrow spoons even!
But you can also serve it with some crusty bread on the side, or with a vinegary parsley salad to cut through the richness.
You can’t go wrong no matter what.
Prepping Raw Bone Marrow
This step is entirely optional and I never bother myself.
Bone marrow turns from bight creamy pink-white to grey after cooking. But soaking it in salted water for 24 hours can make the colour more “appetizing” if you’re new to this type of food.
Just make sure to change the salted water several times in that 24 hour period.
I hope you enjoy this simple recipe, I’ll be back with more bone marrow recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 long beef marrow bones cut lengthwise in half
- 2 sticks butter at room temperature, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley finely minced
- 1 whole anchovy filet or one teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 tablespoon capers rinsed and finely chopped
- Sea Salt
- Fresh black pepper
Instructions
- To remove blood, heavily salt some water in a pan long enough to hold bones. Place bones in water, cover and place in fridge for 1 day or more When marrow is white - good to go. Salt Water should absorb blood, marrow should be white.
- Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit
- On a baking sheet, lay out your marrow bones, evenly spaced.
- Sprinkle with some sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Place sheet in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside, allowing the bone marrow to cool completely to room temperature. (You can serve hot roasted bone marrow just like this too, it goes great on bread)
- Mix the butter, parsley, anchovy, capers, salt together. Make sure the anchovy and capers are fully incorporated. When the marrow cools, stir it into the mixture before adding it into in a food processor. You can use a hand mixer too. Pulse until fully blended.
- Serve on warm, rustic sourdough bread as a snack or appetizer. Store the rest by placing the mixture on a long piece of plastic wrap. Cover mixture completely in wrap and spin around to form cylinder for easy slicing. Place in fridge for 2 hours or longer. Can be frozen for many months.
- This compound butter tastes great on bread, steaks, with roasted vegetables and potatoes. Use it to dip french fries into. Adjust the salt level to your taste, adding more as needed.
