Ingredient: Marrow bones

What: “Good for dogs, stews, and butter,” promised Gunpowder Bison & Trading of their marrow bones at the Silver Spring farmers market on Saturday. Butter? “Well, that’s what some people call the roasted marrow,” Colin of Gunpowder told me. The operation is pastured just outside of Baltimore; its bison comes from a genetically diverse herd in Colorado. At $3 a bone, I decided to give home-cooked long bones a shot.

How to cook: Brian Lounsbury of H Street NE’s The Queen Vic stepped in with some preparation tips: Marinate the bones in red wine—something you’d drink, Lounsbury cautions, not bottom-shelf—and set them on their ends in a pan. Roast in a 425-degree oven for 20–30 minutes.

How to serve: Marrow bones are traditionally served with a parsley and shallot salad ($2–3 dollars a bunch for both; multiple stands) and a good crusty baguette ($2 from Atwater’s). Use rough kosher salt for seasoning and give your guests a knife or small fork to dig out the marrow. The bones make for a tasty appetizer, but certainly not a full meal.

Correction: Due to an editing error, this post initially described marrow bones as vertebrae.

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