2010 Challenge: Photos of Bones Favre Wishes He'd Sent Instead

Sorry, there is no way to avoid making a joke about Brett Favre's inability to once again come up big when it matters, in this case when you are talking about bone marrow. Color me juvenile. On my first visit to Feast, I sampled their roasted bone marrow, which is the meat-butter of the food world and superior to the myriad variations of foie gras popping up in every restaurant like dandelions in an abandoned lot. Bone marrow is like Nicky Hilton: less celubutante, more substance, and humbler than her older sister, Paris. Shoot, here we are again talking about X rated things. Moving on...

Sheltered by the sturdy bone of the animal from which it came, marrow remains soft and unctuous no matter how you cook it. I like it roasted the beast, when you can poke it out of the bone and spread it onto a well-toasted piece of bread. A few sprinkles of fleur de sel, a scoop of something bright (parlsley salad, some shallots tossed in red wine vinegar, a double rainbow, etc...), and you are on your way to a very good start.

Favre Marrow

First, get the marrow bones. Mine came from Rare Cuts, but any butcher worth their salt should be able to source some bones for you. These are beef bones, specifically from the leg bones of a cow, which as you may already know is an animal. So if you are a vegetarian, use a leek instead. Fill a large pot (one you would use for pasta) with cold, salted water. Into this place your bones. Place pot on the stove, and bring to a light boil, then lower to simmer and cook for twenty minutes. Crank your oven to 400 degrees.

Get a crusty loaf of sourdough, slice it, and toast. To make a parsley salad, combine parsley with a few sliced shallots, a few shakes of red wine vinegar, and toss. I was out of parsley and lazy, so I just tossed sliced shallots in red wine.

Remove bones from water and place on a sturdy pan roasting pan or a cast iron skillet. Into the oven for another twenty minutes. Then turn on broiler and cook for another 10. Serve immediately with a good, deep red wine. A Cote du Rhone does well.