Published December 18, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Bone Marrow Butter loaded with herbs, garlic, and sherry wine complements all your steak, chicken, and pork cuts. The flavor of this butter is incredible and will immediately take a bland meal to extraordinary.
I’ve always been big on flavored butters. It probably started when I realized how a simple swipe of compound butter could completely change a dish. If you’re like me and love that kind of flavor boost, you’ve got to try my roasted garlic butter or Maître D’ butter.
Bone Marrow Butter
Bone marrow butter combines an herb compound butter and roasted and cooled bone marrow. The main reason to add bone marrow to the butter is for the incredible beefy, umami flavor it adds.
This is an excellent accompaniment to steak, chicken, or pork, but it’s also wonderful to finish sauces with or spread it on a crostini. If you ask me, there’s no such thing as too much roasted bone marrow in the butter.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can make the herb butter as simple or as loaded as you like. If you keep the ingredients minimal, the bone marrow flavor will stand out more. But I find that adding garlic, lemon, and herbs, like I do in my version, really brings out the richness and makes it even more delicious.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – I always prefer unsalted butter to control the sodium content instead of the butte company.
- Herbs – This is subjective, but the herbs I love in the herb butter are fresh parsley, chives, thyme, and rosemary. You can substitute it with dry herbs using half the amount of fresh herbs.
- Lemon – Some zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice add a hint of clean acid to the beef for a smooth finish.
- Wine – I added some dry sherry to the butter because it’s such a compliment to beef. Another option here would be using cognac because it also pairs well with meat.
- Marrow – This is optional, but I roasted beef shank bones and blended the marrow with the herb butter to give it a beefier, umami flavor.
- Oil – Olive or avocado oil is suitable for coating the bones.
- Seasonings – Only coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper are used when seasoning the butter and beef bones.
How to Make Bone Marrow Butter
Whip the butter: First thing I do is add four sticks of unsalted butter to the bowl of my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I whip it on high speed for about 5 to 7 minutes until it turns light and fluffy.
Add the flavor: I stop the mixer and add in the parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and sherry. Then I mix everything on low speed just until it’s combined. Once it’s ready, I set the butter aside.
Preheat the oven: I set my oven to 500 degrees and let it heat up while I get the bones ready.
Prepare the bones: I place the bone marrow bones on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper to keep everything neat and easy to clean up.
Add the oil: I coat the bones on both sides with a little olive oil to help them roast evenly and develop flavor.
Season the bones: I gently sprinkle both sides of the bones with salt and pepper, making sure they’re evenly seasoned before roasting.
Roast the bones: I place the tray on the middle rack and roast the bones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the marrow reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Cool the bones: I take the tray out of the oven and let the bones cool slightly so they’re easier to handle.
Combine with butter: I scoop out the marrow and add it to a food processor along with the herb butter I set aside earlier.
Blend it together: I pulse the mixture until the marrow is finely minced and fully combined with the herb butter.
Serve: Sometimes I serve right away or store it until I’m ready to enjoy. You can check out my serving suggestions further down in the post.
Chef Tip + Notes
Whipping the butter until it’s light and fluffy before mixing in the marrow and herbs is something I highly recommend. This step is often overlooked, but it makes a big difference. Whipping the butter first gives the final product a smooth and spreadable texture that helps the marrow and herbs blend in evenly.
- Fold in marrow: I sometimes finely mince the bone marrow and fold it straight into the whipped herb butter.
- Add more marrow: When I want a deeper beef flavor, I double or even triple the amount of bones. It really takes the butter to the next level.
- Switch up the herbs: I like to mix in other fresh herbs like oregano, basil, sage, or chervil depending on what I have. Each one brings its own touch to the butter.
- Roast for flavor: roasted garlic or shallots are a great addition. They add a mellow sweetness that blends beautifully with the marrow.
- Use hand beaters: If I don’t feel like pulling out the stand mixer, electric hand beaters work just fine. The goal is to get the butter nice and creamy.
- Flavor matters: The butter should be intensely flavorful as it enhances the flavor of whatever you add it to. You aren’t eating it by itself.
Serving Suggestions
When I have my family or friends over for a reunion, I always make a big beef feast and serve this bone marrow butter alongside it. Trust me, spreading it over a juicy slice of smoked prime rib or letting it melt into a freshly cooked New York strip roast takes the whole meal to another level. It also pairs perfectly with my beef tenderloin roast, and there’s never a bite left by the end of the night.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 5 days ahead for freshness. Keep it in the refrigerator or freezer until you can use it.
How to Store: Cover and keep the bone marrow butter in the refrigerator for 7 days. Cover and freeze for up to 6 months. This can be kept in a plain container with a lid or rolled up in a sheet of parchment paper, and you can slice it when you need it.
More Butter Recipes
Bone Marrow Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 sticks softened unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced thyme
- 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- zest and juice of 1 lemon, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry wine, optional
- 2-6 beef shank bones
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 4 sticks of unsalted butter to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high for 5 to 7 minutes or until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Stop the mixer and add parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, garlic, lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper, and sherry. Mix on low speed to combine. Set it to the side.
- Preheat the oven to 500°.
- Place the bone marrow bones onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper
- Coat the bones on both sides in oil.
- Next, gently season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Roast the bones in the oven on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until the marrow is 145° internally.
- Let the bones cool slightly.
- Add the marrow to a food processor along with the herb butter.
- Pulse it until the marrow is finely minced and combined with the butter.
Bone Marrow Butter Recipe