If it seems crazy to you that we'd eat the marrow out of bones, let me remind you that this is about as primal and ancient a dish as it gets. Many animals, and our very own ancestral humans, crack open the bones of animals and suck out the delicate marrow. For primal hunters living off the land, the marrow served as an excellent source of nutrition - protein, healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins, etc etc etc.
Now, I'm all for modernizing so I get my bones pre-cut from the grocery store and roast them prior to consumption. Your butcher can also be a good source for marrow bones - ask for beef, veal, lamb, etc. And the best part - they're super cheap!
If you've never had bone marrow you may be wondering how to eat it or serve it and you've got a few options. Note that the marrow is very rich with a high fat content so you likely would only eat 1-2 bones depending on their size. And here's how:
- Serve 1-2 marrow bones as a standalone appetizer. You can leave them plain or make an oil-based sauce as a topper (e.g. olive oil, parsley, and garlic or even an olive tapenade, etc).
- Serve 1-2 marrow bones on a bed of simple greens with a dressing of olive oil, lemon and salt.
- Scoop out the marrow and serve it rubbed over a steak (grill the steak first).
- Scoop out the marrow and serve it spread on Paleo crackers.
So many ideas! Now if you make these, save the bones in the freezer when you're done eating the marrow and you can use them to make a healthy and budget-friendly stock. Stay tuned for the bone broth recipe!
Ingredients
- Marrow bones (I used beef)
- Coconut oil
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a roasting pan with foil
- Lightly coat the bottom of the pan (on the foil) with coconut oil so the bones won't stick to the foil
- Arrange your bones in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Roast for about 15 minutes, until you see the marrow begin to bubble
There are special marrow spoons you can buy for eating it out of bones, but a seafood pick/fork, espresso spoon, or even chopstick would work fine. You can also go primal and suck it directly out of the bone when no one's looking.
Enjoy!
