Roasting bone marrow

So, just back from France where I spent 2 1/2 weeks as a new omnivore (didn't eat meat on my previous trips there) and I'm ready to recreate some dishes I had. I'm starting with roasted bone marrow, one of the most amazing things I've ever tasted.
I'm getting some beef shanks from Fiedler at the Bardstown Rd market this morning. it *seems* straightforward, just roast the bones standing up, right? is there more to it? Am I oversimplifying it? Would appreciate any tips, or suggestions for a dish (and wine) to accompany it.

Dana,

It's really quite straightforward. Here are a couple of recipes; haven't tried it but I'm betting the Bourdain recipe is really good as he loves the stuff:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/dining/311mrex.html:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008 ... ecipe.html

Bon Appetit!
Deb

Thanks Deb! I'd forgotten that I actually have the Fergus Henderson book that those recipes are based on. (it's upstairs and we've sold and not rebuilt our staircase, long story)

So the beef shank was basically a cut of meat with some bone in it, it wasn't quite what I needed for marrow. What I had in Paris looked like this:


I was on a mission by this point though so we stopped by Kingsley's and they scrounged up a few bones they said would work. Only one was more than an inch tall though. We roasted them at 450 in a cast iron skillet. The three small ones just melted away all the marrow. The one little taller one kept maybe a tablespoon of marrow. The taste was right but the texture wasn't as light and melty as it was before. It was also still a little pink but I thought if I cooked it any longer it would melt away too. But at least my husband was able to get a taste and see what I'd come from from France raving about.

Kathy Packard at Misty Meadows Farm is going to try to get me some leg bones that will work. I'm still determined to have this amazing dish.

I don't imagine any restaurants in Louisville are doing marrow, but if you hear, please let me know!

Hi Dana,

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I was picking up something at Butcher's Best in Prospect yesterday and noticed that Jimmy has all different sizes of marrow bones in the freezer case. If you don't see what you like I'm sure he can find it for you.

Ed

I don't imagine any restaurants in Louisville are doing marrow, but if you hear, please let me know!

You get a roasted marrow bone with the braised short ribs at 732 Social. It was quite good the last time I had it.

I've been waiting to try the bison marrow bones on Proof's menu for a few weeks now. I also second the short ribs with marrow at 732.

Thanks for the tips! I'll have to try them at one of these places.

Before you roast you bones there is a little prep work that you should do. Soak your bones in a little cold water and salt. This helps remove any blood. After a couple of hours in water you can remove the marrow from the bone and clean it further, and place it back in the bone. wile the removal Is not needed i think the soak is a must

Thanks Michael! I never would have thought I could remove the marrow ahead of time.

Whole Foods had some marrow bones last week...fwiw.

It's important to remember that pre-soaking marrow will indeed remove much of the blood but it'll also remove much of the taste. I would recommend trying it w/o pre-soaking first. If the taste is too strong for you, pre-soak it next time. I personally enjoy marrow w/o pre-soaking & served w/ a french baguette & parsley salad. Once you get used to working w/ marrow, you really need to try & make your own Bordelais sauce. You won't be disappointed.

P.S. I really enjoyed your travel blog. My wife is Parisian & I recently got to travel to Paris (we're going to start going 1-2 times each year to visit her family) for the first time. I saw that you had a photo of Mont Saint-Michel. Did you happen to try an omelet at La Mere Poulard? Mmm.

Thanks again for the tips.
Jim at Fiedler Farms ordered some marrow bones from his abbatoir and I got them yesterday. We're going to try them again today. They're quite tall, a good five inches (the dogs will love them as treats when we're through with them!). I'm going to try it without soaking, as I love the flavor of the marrow. We got the last baguette at Old Town yesterday so we'll have the marrow on that with sea salt. On the side I'm doing grits with red Russian kale. We went to the foie gras dinner at 610 Friday night (which was STUNNING) and Edward Lee did an amazing grits and kale dish that I'm trying my humble best to replicate.
I'll report back

PS Thanks for the note on the blog. We did not have an omelet, but we did have crepes and cider while at Mont St Michel. And we watched them make music with their whisks and copper bowls

You really shouldn't give cooked bones to dogs, they can splinter and do internal damage. Raw bones are perfectly fine though.

You really shouldn't give cooked bones to dogs, they can splinter and do internal damage. Raw bones are perfectly fine though.

Oh no! I never thought about that. We buy bones from the farmers market for them, but I guess those are smoked, not actually cooked. Thanks for telling me -- though I'm sure they will not understand why those beautiful bones are not for them