Beef Bones 101: What to Buy and What to Cook

Not all bones behave the same. Some bring big flavor, some bring body and silky texture, and some bring that spoonable richness everyone chases. If you’re looking to make a standard stock, you really can't go wrong, but there are times that a recipe may call for a specific bone composition. Here’s a quick overview of what each bone brings to the table, that way you can start to bring a bit of agency to your stocks. 

Marrow bones

What they are: Center-cut femur bones, either cross-cut into rounds or split canoe-style to expose the marrow.
Best for: Roasting and spreading on toast, finishing sauces, adding richness to stock, and my personal favorite, making marrow butter.
Why use them: Marrow melts into a velvet blanket. It brings luxury, not gelatin.
How to use: For marrow: roast until the marrow quivers, 12 to 15 minutes at high heat. For marrow butter: mix 3:1 butter to marrow when the butter is soft. Store in the refrigerator. For stock, roast the bones you already took the marrow out of, then add to the pot with meaty and body bones. A little goes a long way. 

Knuckle bones

What they are: Joint bones with cartilage, tendons, and connective tissue.
Best for: Any stock or broth where you want natural gel and a glossy mouthfeel, demi-glace bases, pho-style broths.
Why use them: Collagen central. This is how you get stock that sets in the fridge.
How to use: Blanch briefly to remove impurities, roast for deeper flavor, then give them time at a gentle simmer. Pressure cooker fans, this is your MVP bone.

Meaty neck bones

What they are: Vertebrae from the neck with a generous halo of meat.
Best for: Soup and ragu where you want both body and meat you can shred back into the pot.
Why use them: Neck bones pull double duty. They flavor the broth and pay you back with tender, deeply seasoned meat.
How to use: Brown hard for fond, then simmer until the meat slips from the bone. Skim, strain, pick the meat, and return it to the soup or sauce.

Shank bones

What they are: Cross-cut shanks that include bone, marrow, and tough-working muscle.
Best for: Osso buco style braises, rich soups, balanced brown stock.
Why use them: You get a little of everything. Marrow for richness, connective tissue for body, meat for flavor.
How to use: Brown, deglaze, and braise gently until spoon-tender. For stock, combine with knuckle bones to boost gel.

Oxtail

What it is: The tail, cut into discs through the vertebrae with lots of connective tissue and marbled meat.
Best for: Soups, stews, ramen bases, anything slow and cozy.
Why use it: Off-the-charts flavor and collagen. The meat is silky and the broth turns lush.
How to use: Brown thoroughly, then settle in for a slow simmer until the meat falls apart. Skim as you go or at the end. Strain and shred.

Rib and back bones

What they are: Bones from rib roasts, short ribs, or the backbone. Often come with roasted bits or smoky edges if saved from a cookout. You won’t get a collagen heavy broth, but it will have a deep flavor.
Best for: Brown beef stock, French onion soup base, gravy with attitude.
Why use them: Big roasted flavor. Less gelatin than knuckles, more character than bare marrow bones.
How to use: Roast to deepen color, then build a classic brown stock with onion, carrot, and celery.

Feet or “trotter” bones

What they are: Hoof-end bones packed with cartilage and connective tissue. Harder to find, worth the hunt.
Best for: Turbocharging gel in any stock.
Why use them: They are pure body. One foot can set a whole pot.
How to use: Blanch, then simmer low and slow. Combine with meaty bones so you get flavor plus structure. 

Soup bones or mixed bones

What they are: Butcher’s mix of odds and ends or simply a bag in the freezer where you keep bones from other meals. Often includes some meaty pieces and a few joint sections.
Best for: Everyday stock when you want a simple, affordable base.
Why use them: Easy, flexible, economical.
How to use: Roast, then simmer with aromatics. If the mix looks light on joints, add a knuckle to help the set.

What to cook (besides broths and stocks)

• Roasted marrow with herb salad and lemon on toast.
• Neck bone soup with greens and white beans.
• Shank and barley stew that eats like a hug.
• Oxtail noodle soup with scallions and chili crisp.

Ask your butcher

Ask for 2 inch cross-cut marrow bones for roasting, split canoe bones if you want easy marrow access, one or two knuckles for gel, a couple pounds of meaty neck bones, and any rib or back bones they are trimming that day. If they have feet, grab one. Just a note, some butcher shops will not do canoe cuts if they don’t have specific equipment as hand cutting can be dangerous.