Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [24]
6.Heat the sauce in a small saucepan until liquid, then pour over oxtail. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for 30 minutes.
7.Uncover the baking dish and stir the oxtail. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces of oxtail to coat with the sauce and cook for another 15 minutes, or until hot and glazed.
8.Meanwhile, squeeze ¼ cup (60 ml) juice from the orange.
9.Remove the glazed oxtail from the oven and pour in the orange juice. Stir the juice into the sauce, and serve.
Spiced Roasted Rack o f Ribs (page 30)
Osso Buco with Fennel and Blood Orange Sauce (page 41)
Roasted Marrow Bones (page 44)
Chinese-Style Oxtail (page 49)
Crown Roast of Pork (page 70)
Roast Leg of Pork with Crackling (page 74)
Braised Hock with Fennel Three Ways (page 80)
Pig’s Feet (page 82)
BONE MARROW
Marrow is the soft, creamy, highly caloric substance found in the center of the bones. According to Waverley Root, in his reference work Food, bone marrow is “the rather mucilaginous matter which fills bones and is considered a particular delicacy by cannibals.” Root was obviously not a fan, but cooked bone marrow has a mild taste and the consistency of soft butter; gourmands compare it to foie gras.
The most popular marrow is veal or beef, from the animals’ leg bones. Don’t neglect what you find in lamb and pork shanks, hams, and game bones. Even if you don’t eat the marrow straight from the bone, remember to add those bones to your stockpot to enrich the final broth.
Since man began hunting, marrow has been an important food source. It provides fat, iron, phosphorous, and vitamin A, with trace amounts of thiamin and niacin. For people living at subsistence levels or in marginal areas, it could mean the difference between life and death. All mammals have marrow in their bones, as do birds—though to a lesser extent, because many bird bones are hollow, which helps them fly.
During the Middle Ages marrow, like suet (the fat from around the kidneys), was used in place of butter as an ingredient in pastries, sweet puddings, and desserts. In Victorian times, marrow was a popular dish at English high teas and in men’s clubs, and it was often served, instead of pudding, at the end of the meal. Queen Victoria was a devotee, who it was said, ate marrow and toast every day. That may not have improved her figure, but it didn’t shorten her life.
Although rich, beef marrow is easily digested. Because it is one of the richest foods there is, in the past it was the nutritional choice for anyone with a poor appetite or who needed building up. It was regarded as a health food, perfect for invalids and children. In one English recipe, the marrow is colored yellow with saffron and then whipped until it resembles butter. It was recommended for sickly children.
Fortunately, we don’t need the excuse of feeling undernourished to eat marrow; we can eat it because we like it. However, because many of us pay attention to the amount of saturated fat in our diets, marrow is usually a special treat.
Knowing where your meat comes from, and how it has been raised, is especially important when it concerns bone marrow. Spinal marrow is found in the bones of chops and ribs, the neck, and tail. The safest bone marrow is that from the leg bones, because it has had no contact with brain tissues.
Pork
Pork bones are familiar friends, the reason why pork ribs are such a favorite. The best part of eating ribs is picking up the bones and chewing the sweet juicy meat still clinging to them; they satisfy a deep primal urge to eat with our fingers. Yet we often ignore pork’s other bones and bone-in cuts, seduced by speed and convenience over flavor.
Pigs are important to bone lovers and today, more than ever, their bones are essential to cooks. Once prized for its fat, pork is now leaner than ever. Although heritage