Roasted Bone Marrow Recipe: How to Roast Bone Marrow

Bone marrow is a fatty, spongy tissue found at the center of most bones. This unique substance is rich in collagen, protein, and nutrients like iron, riboflavin, and vitamins A, E, and B12. It comes in two varieties: red bone marrow (which contains blood cell–producing stem cells) and yellow bone marrow (which helps produce fat, cartilage, and bones). The yellow marrow from cows is the most common type of marrow that diners consume.

Roasted bone marrow, the most popular culinary preparation of this ingredient, features marrow baked in a high-heat oven until the fat becomes soft and spreadable. Chefs usually serve the dish with a warm baguette or other crusty bread for spreading and sopping. The roasted marrow and bread pairing has roots in seventeenth-century France, but historians estimate that humans have eaten bone marrow since prehistoric times.

Bone marrow has a rich, buttery, semi-sweet flavor with a delicately creamy texture. When roasted, the marrow takes on slightly nutty, umami notes.

Bone marrow isn’t just for restaurant menus—here’s how to make it at home:

1. 1. Source the bones. Purchase the marrow from your local butcher shop or grocery store meat counter, where butchers can cut it both lengthwise and crosswise. Whichever direction you choose, ask the butcher to clean the bones to remove any meat bits. Ensure the marrow has a faint pink color; the scent should be fresh and slightly meaty but not pungent or overpowering.
2. 2. Soak the bones. Soaking the bones before roasting bone marrow isn’t necessary, but it can help remove any remaining blood. Add the marrow to a bowl of salted ice water and place it in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours, replacing the liquid with fresh water every four to six hours.
3. 3. Prepare the bones. When you’re ready to roast, dry the bones off with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and preheat an oven to very high heat. Bone marrow doesn’t require any oil or initial seasoning.
4. 4. Roast the bones. Simply cook the bones fat-side up in the hot oven for fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on the size of the bones, before sprinkling them with salt or serving them as-is with a side of salt. When cooked properly, bone marrow should have a semisolid, jelly-like texture.

The most popular way to serve bone marrow is to place the roasted bone on a plate with toasted bread, salt, black pepper, and a bright, herby side salad (such as a fresh parsley salad with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, capers, and shallots) to balance out this rich dish. Use a spoon to dig some of the marrow out of the bone, spread it on toast, and top with a sprinkle of salt. Serve this traditional French dish as a main course for one or a tasty shared appetizer.

Other culinary uses of roasted bone marrow include spooning it over grilled meats, like steak, or boiling whole marrow bones to make bone broth. A traditional conclusion to a roasted bone marrow meal is to drink a shot of liquor—most commonly, Irish whiskey—from the remnants of the bone to soak up all of the remaining marrow.