Take the Plunge: Try the Bone Luge

Attention sports fans - those who consider themselves bonafied hardcore foodies.  During the Olympic games in Sochi I want to encourage you to take the plunge culinary speaking and indulge in the bone luge. 

“If you take marrow bones and split them lengthwise they look like a luge,” says Chef Trenton Thrun, executive chef at Ameristar Casino’s Bugatti’s Steak and Pasta who then seasons the would-be luges with herbs and cheese before roasting.

After diners scrape and devour the bone’s succulent marrow that’s served with a tomato onion jam and crisp focaccia toasts, then and only then is it ready to become a luge - a slide to drink Port or whiskey from. Ok, I know it’s tough to picture but it’s worth a try. And while I prefer my whiskey or port contained in a glass I must admit it’s fun. Besides, the best part about the bone luge is indulging in the marrow.

Bone marrow may sound odd but this isn’t a weird bone-sucking fetish practiced by vampires. Instead think of dishes like Osso Buco, the slow roasted veal shanks whose marrow is the eaten along with the meat, which has been a gourmet specialty on Italian menus for decades.  In fact marrow has been on menus and considered a delicacy  since Roman times.

“ What’s old school is new again,” said Chef Thrun commenting on how both the historic nature and the versatility marrow offers as an enhancement to other dishes. “ That’s why we’re featuring marrow as an off the menu special.”

Besides the bone luge, novice marrow connoisseurs can partake in Chef Thrun’s bone marrow matré d’ butter that crowns his New York Strip or crispy fried bone marrow cubes that are tumbled across Bugatti’s garlic herbed Prime Rib.  Both dishes are designed to please the hard cord carnivore.  Give marrow a try before the Sochi Olympic flame dies out.