Photography by Caitlin Savage
What: Brûléed Bone Marrow
Where: Euclid Hall
1317 14th St Denver, CO 80202
Tip: They take a little long to cook, so order early.
Before these last couple years when many of us heard the words ‘bone marrow’ none of us thought ‘edible’ or ‘delicious’. Rather a normal diner with such sentiments would probably be shunned from any dinner party or at the very least, have their own Travel Channel show (I am talking to you Zimmerman). Now, many of us have not only heard of bone marrow but have actually consumed it and liked it. Thanks to the wizards of the culinary world, we have all quickly found out that this strange ingredient is actually very edible and can be insanely delicious. The best descriptor I’ve heard for it is ‘meat butter’, which is very fitting since it is pretty greasy, spreadable but just as tasty as butter and we all like butter. However with this all said, bone marrow isn’t for everyone. It’s sometimes slimy and oily texture and the fact you eat it out of the bone doesn’t make everyone salivate. If it’s not made correctly, bone marrow can still be a little gross. So when this ingredient is cooked properly it is something to be cherished. This is why I chose Euclid Hall’s to be the first of the new series called Hot Plate, where I will highlight the most unique and delicious dishes in town and where you can get them… Euclid Hall has made it’s name as being a young and innovative restaurant in Denver. Their creative plates and subtle ‘devil-may-care’ attitude has produced a successful and fun eatery that always seems to satisfy. However their most well known dish- The Brûléed Bone Marrow- was what initially created a buzz about EH.
Chef Jorel Of Euclid Hall
Following a popular trend, EH started serving bone marrow right when the unconventional ingredient became incredibly popular. Many local restaurants like Colt and Gray added it to the menu but Euclid Hall quickly one-upped everyone with their special technique. By brûlée-ing the marrow, EH turned the greasy and savory bone meat into a crispy and slightly sweet dish. When you bite into this ‘meat butter’ the usual slimy texture is now met with a crunch of the caramelized fat. This was a game changer because it took the most unpleasant aspect of bone marrow, the texture, and turned it into one of it’s best attributes. The brûlée technique coupled with the mandatory red onion, sherry and toasted bread made this plate a complete knock out. I have pushed many of my friends out of their comfort zone just so they can try it. 9 out of 10 are hooked (the other just isn’t into this type of thing). It is one of my favorite dishes in town and luckily I was able to briefly sit down with one of the dishes creator, Chef Jorel. Jorel, who is almost as famous for his mustaches appearance on Top Chef as he is for his cooking, is a young successful Chef who has quickly made a name for himself. He has not only become a TV personality of sorts but works closely to one of Denver’s best Chef’s, Jennifer Jasinski, of whom I recently interviewed. When I asked why they chose to do bone marrow he said, “We had to. It fits our concept”. “It’s a simple ingredient. It can be anything you want it to be. You can even take home if you wanted to. This laid back attitude is a clear reason why EH has become so successful. Because in the end, they don’t worry about anything else other than the ingredient, which in my opinion is a great way to make food. So break out of your routine, test your boundaries and come to Euclid Hall and try their bone marrow because I can guarantee if you are open to the idea of scooping meat out of a bone, you’ll really like it .