Elevate the umami experience with this creamy bone marrow butter recipe. Whether served on crusty bread or basted on your steak, it adds umami flavor to every bite.
Enriched with roasted garlic and parsley, this bone marrow butter has high-fat content and nutty flavor that transforms soups, stews, or steaks into a delicious experience with nutritional benefits.
What is Bone Marrow Butter?
Bone marrow butter is a rich and flavorful spread that combines softened butter with bone marrow, the soft and fatty tissue in beef bones. The bone marrow is roasted until it becomes creamy and easily blendable. Mixed with butter and seasoned with herbs, spices, or garlic creates a luxurious and savory spread. This compound butter adds flavor and nutritional benefits to dishes like steaks, bread, or vegetables.
Bone marrow health benefits
- Nutrient Rich: Marrow bones contain essential nutrients and elements such as calcium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, selenium, magnesium and manganese.
- Heart Health: They contain heart-healthy fatty acids like Omega-3.
- Bone and Brain Support: Provide vitamin K, which is important for brain health and maintaining bone density during aging (1).
- Immune Boost: The marrow includes protein, collagen, and CLA, boosting the immune system.
- Metabolic Support: The hormone adiponectin can help maintain insulin sensitivity and break down fat. Studies have shown (2) low levels of Adiponectin levels play a key role in the development of diabetes.
Why this recipe works
- The bone marrow adds a a rich, creamy, nutty, and unique flavor often described as umami, taking the basic to extraordinary.
- Roasting the bone marrow until it reaches a creamy and luscious texture.
- Bone marrow contains nutrients, including healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Ingredients
Bone Marrow Bones: Roast or Smoke?
While the paleo or carnivore diet suggests eating bone marrow raw, its processed version is much tastier.
I roasted the marrow bone in the oven to extract the natural umami flavor. When prepared like Bone Marrow, it needs nothing more than salt and pepper for its taste to elevate. I couldn’t resist adding some herbs, but it is unnecessary.
Alternatively, you can create a smoky version by slow-smoking the bone marrow on a live-fire grill.
What type of marrow bones are best to use?
Finding good quality beef bone marrow bones can be tricky as they are not always available in local grocery stores.
When purchasing beef marrow bones, they come in raw, frozen, packaged, and pre-cut into a cross-cut or canoe-cut. The Cross Cut is chopped along the bone’s length, while the Canoe Cut results from splitting the femur bone lengthways, creating a canoe-like shape.
Both versions deliver very same tasty results, with cross-cut marrow bones being quicker to cook.
Alternatively, you may get the fresh pieces at your local butcher store.
Roasted Garlic
I like roasted garlic, but you can also use garlic confit or fresh garlic.
Softened Regular Butter
I prefer the unsalted version to better adjust the saltiness.
Fresh lemon zest
Fresh Parsley
You can also use thyme, rosemary, cilantro or chilli for a spicy kick.
Sea Salt and black pepper
I like to use Rosemary salt for extra flavor.
Bone marrow butter recipe
Making bone marrow butter is easier than you think. Here are easy steps for a mouthwatering Bone Marrow Butter.
First step: Roast bone marrow
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and place rinsed marrow bones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. If you are using cross-cut bone marrow, place it standing, if cut lengthwise, place it facing upwards. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt or kosher salt and pepper. Place it in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. The internal temperature should be around 135°F. Use a knife or spoon to scrape off all the good stuff.