GOD'S BUTTER

God's Butter

I've heard this phrase used in reference to bone marrow before and it's completely spot on. When roasted, the marrow takes on the texture of a very soft pate and a deeply concentrated savory flavor that is both luxurious and comforting. The empty bones scattered across plates can be a bit disconcerting--very "I'll grind your bones to make my bread"— but they're worth the quasi-cannibalistic venture and will leave you licking your fingers and plates.

Ingredients:

For 2 – 4

4 beef or veal bones, cut into 3 inch rounds (most markets have these in their butcher's freezer)
Freshly ground pepper
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Place bones flat onto an oven-proof skillet, sprinkle with fresh pepper, and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until you see the marrow just pull away from the bone. Cook it too long, and you’ll have hollow bones and a soupy mess. Using tongs (they’re SUPER hot) place the bones on a large plate. Cut the baguette into ½ inch slices, drizzle slices with olive oil and either grill or toast in an oven at 400 degrees. When finished, set on plate next to bones. In a small bowl, toss the parsley with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon. Place dressed parsley on plate. Pour a large tablespoon of sea salt onto the plate and you are ready to go!