The 7 Degrees of Bone Meat

So, already, people are running from the bone meat dishes (pepperpot, oxtail pho, etc). This is to be expected in America. Ever since I was a kid, people packed their own dinners when comin over to the crib cause they knew, "If you eat at the Huangs', there is gonna be bones in your soup, bones on your chicken, and you damn right there's feet in your stew."

Warren was hands down the most adventurous white boy of all-time (hereinafter referred to as "MAWBAT". And he was rewarded for it. Warren, tell the people how you feel in the comments. Justin got down too, but he stopped at feet, fair enough. Feet are for freaks like me and Too Short.

Look, I can understand the fear. Bone meat looks weird at first and the flavor is deep. Heads aint ready for the essence! It is the most flavorful, you get your soups, your stews, your best braised dishes, etc. all from bone meat. Even if you don't think bone meat is involved, you're tasting it. Bone meat makes the world go round.

Instead of appeasing people's irrational fears of bone meat, "chefs" should stand their ground and serve the damn bones because everyone knows that's where the flavor is at. If you take an oxtail, eat the meat clean, you'll see two little holes on each side. Suck on em like a Hooker @ the Point and enjoy.

Here is a step-by-step guide to bone meats and where you should start:

1) Go for Osso Bucco - its a veal shank. I recommend Osso Bucco because it is an Italian dish and for most Americans, its a gateway bone meat. The real crack is a few steps down, but this is your dutch.

2) Try the Veal Bones - If you want to try bone meat at home and don't want to spend money on Osso Bucco, try veal tails. They are like ox tails but from veal so its younger, fattier meat. Veal has less "flavor/essence" than mature beef in my opinion and should be less "offensive" to bone meat rookies.

3) Bone-in Short Ribs - In my opinion, no one does short ribs like Korean stew. I love it. Spicy Kalbi Tang is great and easy to make. I'll try to whip some up next week. If I don't remind me! But, if you don't have a good Korean place by you, its very easy to braise short rib with some onions, garlic, carrots, brown sugar, etc. make a nice sweet gravy, serve over rice. Err.... potatoes? I dunno. I eat everything on rice cause Mao told me to.

4) Ox Tails - This is my favorite cut of meat on the planet. My mom makes an Ox Tail Vegetable Stew that is the shit. Again, remind me, and I'll make it. Its got celery, carrots, onions, rice wine, ox tails. I cook a lil rice and put it in the soup. Its what we eat instead of Chicken Noodle Soup. You'll be hooked.

5) Pork Neck - So, you've graduated from the tails and realized, it wasn't that funky! Just good straight forward marrow flavor. Now, go back to your Korean spot and get some Gam Ja Tang. I really love the bone meat stews Korean restaurants do. Everyone thinks, "Oh, Korean, I should get BBQ, no son, the stew is where its at."

6) Lamb Neck - Yea, now you're really in deep. Go straight to Court St. in Brooklyn. Yemen cafe, get the Yaneez and ask specifically for the Neck pieces. You won't be disappointed. Side Note: ARAB ED, you owe me $800 you bum mofugger, PAY ME!!!!! (Arab Ed's uncle owns Yaneez, tell him his nephew is a nappy headed deadbeat)

7) Beef Necks - I don't know any places that serve beef neck. This is Strictly for Live Men. It is the shit. But you gotta do it yourself at home. I barbecue neck bones, I stew beef necks. Any dish that uses bone meat like pho, whatever, sub in beef neck and let it rock.

There it is 7 degrees of Bone Meat....Suck it.