Friday Night

Just got paid...It's Friday night...

And what is the first thing I do when I get off work? Head to my local Whole Foods Market to pick up 4 lbs of grass fed beef marrow bones along with several pounds of beef knuckle.

Why? Well for one - beef marrow is DELICIOUS spread on crusty baguette. Also - it's winter now and the nights are getting colder so it's the perfect weather for soups, stews and braising in all forms!

We'll eat the marrow as a nice treat, but the bones will go into a nice beef stock that will be a great flavorful base for beef based braises.

I love that I have finally found a source for grass fed beef bones! I will have to keep my eyes out for more options. Between my Lunardis butcher who sells 5 lbs of local Petaluma Poultry bones for $2.50 and a new reliable source of grass fed beef bones, I really am looking forward to cooking this season. (My Whole Foods keeps frozen beef bones on hand for $3.99/lb - marrow bones are $4.99/lb though)

I'm going to try to keep containers of both beef and chicken stocks on hand to use as my liquid in most my recipes. I can't wait!

(I know - what a geek I am!!)

** Cook's Note - after roasting the bones, simmering for 12 hours and lots of skimming and de-fatting, I've decided that I'm not entirely happy with a stock made simply from bones anymore.  Next time, I will use beef shank and some beef trim in addition to bones for my beef stock.  I'm thinking 3 parts of beef shank/trim to 1 part bones.