Soup Question - need advice

[Diane in Bexley]

The butcher gave me regular beef bones, instead of the marrow bones I usually use for Beef Mushroom Barley soup. I also use some cut up chuck meat, onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots, dried and regular mushrooms and of course barley.

QUESTION - will I be OK proceeding with the regular beef bones or should I call him and get marrow bones? I start my soup by roasting the bones and meat for 45 min in hot oven. So, will the marrow be missed in the soup? Thanks!

[Mild Bill]

----- also, the silky starch that comes off the barley kinda mimics the collagen richness of marrow and beef bones so you should be OK...

[iL Divo]

+1 MildBill

[iL Divo]

richer IMO with the marrow bones - yes.
will it be terrific using ones you ended up with, yep.

[Fiona]

I would roast the bones first ( think someone else suggested that) but basically I agree that you should be fine.

[c oliver]

Just the other day I had two pretty large pork shoulder bones with a fair amount of meat still attached. I made stock with the bones (maybe three hours which is shorter than I like but we were leaving town). Pulled a good bit of meat off. You could probably do something like that with your beef bones.

[treb]

I'd give it a try, roasting the bones will give a richer flavor.

[C. Hamster]

Although I agree with the other posters about the fat (and after the exhausting chicken broth emulsion discussion!!) you could always cleaver them and expose the marrow, no?

[monavano]

I agree you don't need the marrow. Osso Bucco, yes, but soup? No.
I wind up skimming the fat off the next day anyway. Bones, meat and vegs.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Less fat and more gelatinization with the bones, would think better result in the end.

[GilaB]

Agreed. Marrow bones have their place, but not in soup, where all the fat would just get in the way.

[Uncle Bob]

IMO....I doubt it. ~~ You'll be the final judge however.