I’ve always been fond of a bone. In fact, I’m quite the devotee. Imagine my delight, then, when I found myself in the company of one who might be legitimately described as the world’s foremost Bone Vivant.

The Melbourne-born author of Bones, Jennifer McLagan, who now resides in Canada, won a swag of awards and made the front page of The New York Times food section. It’s fair to say that Bones: Recipes, History, and Lore, published here in Australia as Cooking on the Bone, spearheaded the foodie world’s current gastronomic obsession. To wit, using as much of the precious animal’s skeleton as you possibly can.

And why not? There’s a basic link between bones and flavour. In animals, tendons and connective tissue are located closest to the bones. They’re made from collagen, which breaks down into gelatine when cooked, giving richness and stickiness to stocks and stews.

“Closest to the bone/Sweeter is the meat/Last slice of Virginia ham/Is the best that you can eat,” sang Louis Prima back in 1958. He may have been referring to a liking for gals on the slim side, but he also put culinary fact to melody. The meat nearest the bone is more protected from cooking heat. This results in less shrinkage, so it’s consequently less dense and tastes somewhat more subtle. It’s also the most tender.

Bone champion McLagan has long known that this stuff is the best that you can eat. When I met her at the 2007 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, she remarked that our long-standing aversion to bones is hard to understand. It seems that a practise so simple and ascetic now appears almost radical.

The bone-in cooking favoured by McLagan is fundamental to regional favourites around the world. Braised oxtail, Irish stew and, from Italy, osso buco: all depend on a sticky richness afforded by the bone. Marrow too is full of minerals and good fat, and is a foodstuff routinely ignored these days.

If you need a good bone, supermarket shelves, like virtual chefs, will disappoint. The quest begins with finding a good butcher. Even if bones aren’t on display next to the ready-to-stirfry beef strips and marinated mini-roasts, there will be something out the back to suit your needs. Go in armed with a recipe and ask.

Bone-in cooking is sometimes regarded as time-consuming and labour intensive. Actually, the opposite is true. With most stews and stocks, it’s really a case of a bit of prep before a long set-and-forget phase of slow simmering. It’s a relaxing way to cook.

There’s also the attitude that eating from bones is fiddly and messy. There’s another way to look at it. Bones force you to slow down, which aids digestion. Lingering over a meal is becoming less common – we’re overworked and Australia’s Next Top Model starts in five minutes – but it’s one of life’s great pleasures.

Try cooking a chicken curry or casserole using the finest breasts you can find. Then, using all the same ingredients, cook the equivalent using wings, drumsticks, or a whole chicken quartered. The flavour and mouth-feel will be world’s apart.

Step away from the convenience of filleted corpses wrapped in plastic. Don’t deny yourself a good bone.

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form