God's butter

If you've never had bone marrow, then you haven't had God's butter. 

There are parts I haven't tried yet but as I've gotten back into food I now gravitate towards chefs who use the entire animal. If you're going to be a carnivore then I think there's some responsibility that goes with it. What we as Americans call food is only a regional reference based on our upbringings and economics just as Dog, for example, is a Chinese reference for the most part. Here, most of what we consider distasteful either gets ground up for hot dogs or sausage but if you've never had Beef Tongue, Pork cheeks, Pigs feet or marrow (among others) you are missing out on some really good eatin'

Also, it's a crime to slaughter a cow and only use the muscles we've been taught to like and throw the rest away. Whereas all we have to do is salt and pepper a ribeye and throw it on the grill these other parts are slow cooked and the flavor is coaxed out of them. If you go to a restaurant where brains, or sweetbreads or even testicles are prepared you know you are in good hands with the cook.

"Peasant food" is nothing more than food that actually benefits from someone who knows how to cook, unlike the steak on the grill (and we still overcook them -- medium rare people!)

Roasted Bone Marrow

8 to 12 center-cut beef or veal marrow bones, 3 inches long, 3 to 4 pounds total1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons capers

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Coarse sea salt to taste

At least 4 1/2-inch-thick slices of crusty bread, toasted.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.)

2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.