Marrow Butter: A Delicious Twist on Roasted Bone Marrow
This recipe offers a simple, versatile way to enjoy roasted bone marrow. Unlike serving marrow straight from the bone, this method doesn’t require trimming, and the butter lasts longer when refrigerated. Spread it on crackers or toast, sauté vegetables and mushrooms with it, or use it to pan-sear a steak in place of regular butter.
If you already love this delicacy, check out my Marrow Bones or Bone Marrow Beef Tartare posts for more inspiration.
Introducing Marrow Butter to the Uninitiated
The biggest barrier is mental. Seeing bones on a plate—or just hearing the name—can trigger hesitation or a “no, thank you” reflex. The solution? Prepare it in advance, clean up the evidence (the bones), and toss the trash. What you’ll have left is an elegant little crock of creamy, herb-seasoned goodness that looks just like regular butter. Totally harmless, right?
That said, honesty is key. Don’t mislead your guests—be upfront about what it is. Trust matters, and you’ll want to stay on good terms. The beauty of marrow butter is that it looks enticing enough for almost anyone to give it a try. Once they take that first bite? It’s game over. They’ll be reaching for more, one toast point at a time.
Marrow Butter
Roasted bone marrow seasoned with thyme, parsley and salt
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted bone marrow – about 3–5 pounds of canoe cut bones
- 1/4 cup parsley -roughly chopped
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- White bread – toasted with the crusts removed
- 1 pinch sea salt – to taste
- Ground black pepper – to taste
- Capers
- Coarse sea salt – on the side
- Fresh lemon – quartered
Instructions
- Rinse and purge marrow bones in well salted water, refrigerated overnight
- Preheat oven to 425
- Remove the bones from the water, pat dry, spread on a baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes until the marrow begins to bubble
- Remove and scrape the marrow into a blender or food processor, add thyme, parsley and a pinch of salt. Pulse until liquified and mixed thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper
- Pour into a crock or individual serving containers and refrigerate for 30 minutes until set
- While waiting toast the bread, trim the crusts and quarter into points
- Serve with toast points, coarse pepper, capers and lemon