Yuck !!!! I would have a hard time with that one. I've never tried it, so I won't knock it, but the sound of eating it, turns me off.LOL Diana55

I found the article I was thinking of, give it a read if you doubt the transcendent experience of marrow lol.

"I was 9 years old....As my mother mashed the potatoes, I stealthily pulled off little bits of crusty fat from around the hamÂs edges and popped them into my mouth.

As I did this, my attention wandered from the edges of the ham to the bone in its middle, or, more precisely, to the pinkish stuff inside it. I didnÂt know what it was or even if you were "supposed" to eat it. But there was something about the soft, luscious look of it that drew an exploratory finger. I scooped a little out, tasted it ... and found myself transported to heaven. Forty-eight years later, I still remember that momentÂnot my earliest culinary memory, but the first where a single taste would change my life."

Here is a link that might be useful: A single taste changed his life. John Thorne digs down to the marrow of the matter.

My dad used to love marrow. He also ate it on toast.

Not for me. After biology and anatomy classes I have a hard time eating any meat, let alone what's in marrow.

AM

I often use marrow bones to make stock or to add to stew for the extra flavor. I should of course scoop the marrow out and incorporate it into the sauce...but instead I eat it by myself, leaning over the pot like a greedy child.

Slurp!

Umm I think I'm a bit squeamish for this. I can't even it the dark or veiny looking bits of a roast chicken.

I never even knew people ate marrow till Tony Soprano's sister did in a fairly nice looking restaurant on a Soprano's episode.

I do crack chicken bones when making stock though as I figure it adds to the auto immune boosting power of chicken stock. (I'm a little superstitous about chicken stock)

I love bone Marrow. My favourite is the bone marrrow from veal shanks. Best part of Osso Bucco. And it is wonderful in Risotto.

Ann

I also love it. When I make meatloaf, as I learned from my cousin, I buy the largest possible marrow bones and line them up on top of the meatloaf after the tomato sauce has been poured over first. Then cover it all with foil and cook. Some of the marrow seeps into the meat and sauce and the bulk is all ready to eat with a small spoon or narrow knife to clear it out of the opening - oh yum! A little like fois grois in taste and texture.

arline

I add it to soup all the time. But I buy them a lot for my dogs. However, I scoop out most of the marrow first because it so rich for my dogs that can cause diarrhea. Sorry, tmi.

Jo

Especially good in a vegetable soup!

Marrow Dumplings:
1/3 cup raw marrow -- (3 oz.)
2 teaspoons finely cut parsley
2 eggs, unbeaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 rounded teaspoon (abt.) baking powder
1 cup (20 crackers) soda crackers, rolled fine some granular onion powder (to taste)

Scoop marrow from beef shank bone and press through a course sieve. Add remaining ingredients in order given and beat until thoroughly blended. Let stand for two minutes to stiffen slightly for easier handling. Shape level T. of mixture into ball with hands. Drop into boiling soup, cover and boil gently 5 minutes. Serve at once in soup. 4 - 5 servings.

Dianna - I am not sure how you can put "Yuck!!!!" and "I won't knock it" on the same line. LOL!

The only time I have (knowingly) eaten it is in Osso Bucco. It has been a while, but I remember it reminding me of really tender fat. So as someone who cuts excess flabby fat off of any meat, it did not particularly appeal to me. But I would have no problem eating it to be polite if someone served me Osso Bucco.

I buy the big beef bones at the grocery.... meant for dogs.... and slow-roast them for a couple hours. After the bones and secreted fat are cool I dig the marrow out of the bones and freeze for future reference. I reheat the marrow-fat, strain it and freeze it flat in ziplock bags. The marrow-fat is what I always sauté the mushrooms in; and a nice piece of marrow works well on top of a beautiful grilled steak.... It's added after the first "turn-over" when grilling.

I too like the marrow in Osso Buco.

I don't eat it, but the WonderWeiner loved it, LOL.

The closest I come to eating the marrow is when I roast the beef bones after slaughter,then make stock with the roasted bones. I have Carl, the Sausage King (my meat cutter, LOL) cut the bones into lengths that will fit into the stockpot, so I'm sure some of the marrow "leaches" out into the stock. Of course, I chill the stock and skim the fat before I can it, so much of that is discarded.

I don't care for fat beef, and I've always taken the skin off the turkey or chicken and thrown it away, so marrow isn't for me either.

kandm, you can have ALL of my share, both of Osso Bucco and of any available marrow.

Annie

I LOVE the marrow in osso busso bones, and when I'm plating up dinner I steal my DH's marrow too (he won't eat it!) :-)

I love it. The 1st time I actually saw marrow bones on a menu was in Guadalajara at a great restaurant that served wonderful flights of tequila! Wonderful. I had eaten marrow when served dishes like osso bucco but that was the first time I got it all by itself. i never saw it on menus in France where I expected to see it.

Marrow used to be (over the last hundreds of thousands of years) one of the most important food sources, and in many cultures it still is. Marrow (and brain tissue) is high in fat and protein, two nutrients that are hard to get on a foraging diet. If "they" managed to kill an animal, nothing went to waste, and the marrow was a prized food. It is very important for brain growth.

From Wikipedia Though once used in various preparations, including pemmican, bone marrow for human consumption in America has recently fallen out of favor as a food; however, Alaskan Natives do continue to eat the bone marrow of caribou and moose, and slow-cooked marrow is the core ingredient of the Indian dish Nalli Nihari. Now, it is commonly used only as a flavoring for soups and sauces, although dishes with intact bone marrow can still be found in some European restaurants. Bone marrow is a source of protein and high in monounsaturated fats. These fats are known to decrease LDL cholesterol levels resulting in a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, prompting some to make bone marrow a dietary staple. The actual health effects of the addition of bone marrow to the diet remain unclear.

It's not something I eat, but I have used it, in the past, in soups, when I've roasted then boiled beef bones.

I just hate bone marrow. I have very vivid memories of my mother having to choke it and fat trimmings down as a "prescription" when she got Leukemia in the 1950's. Talk about the dark ages of cancer treatment.

I think it was a kind of aversion therapy for me.

Carol

Now, calm down. It could be worse. If some can eat foie gras and escargos, then bone marrow is really tame. It's really what's in our heads. So much of what we eat is gross if we really knew what went into it or where it came from. Fish docks and stockyards stink so bad they can make you vomit and look how popular fish and hamburgers are.

My very Italian sister in law jeannie absolutley loves marrow...she said when she was a kid on Sundays everyone fought to get at it. She swears if I would just try it id love it but im not there yet!

I know this may be a little off topic, but I found your post by Googling. I also love to use the marrow for cooking (I like to think of myself as a budding chef!). I was wondering if anyone knew where to buy a marrow spoon. I found these guys: http://www.savoirvivreutensils.com/marrowscoop.html

Any other suggestions?

Antique stores?
I saw a documentary the other night about Tibet pre-China takeover, and the Dalai Lama was describing how his father kept his moustache "waxed" with marrow.

I have some crab forks that have a long skinny "spoon" at the opposite end from the 2-tine fork. They work great for Marrow.

I like it in Osso Bucco too but usually avoid eating it in grilled or roasted meats. It is just a little off-putting to look at.

My kids OTOH will fight over the tiniest scrap. They love it!

Alexa