Tender southern style pork neck bones, fried onions and tender collard greens in a light brown gravy.

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE:

Pork neck

Pork neck or collar is exactly as it sounds it comes from the neck of pork. Pork neck bones are great for stocks, broths and soups but they can make a really hardy entree with no fuss needed. When selecting pork necks look for meatier pieces. Oftentimes, the meat is just hacked and packed. Some pieces are super meaty while other pieces are just bone. Really investigate your neck bones if you plan you use them as a meal. Meaty neck bones have plenty of meat. Trim off and split bone that may hang off of the meat once these tender neck bones breakdown they may get lost in the sauce.

Vegetables

My vegetable selection is pretty standard. I opt for the classic chopped onions, garlic and collard greens. A whole piece of habanero is generally floating around nearby for some heat. Chop and wash the collard greens in a splash of white vinegar. Rinse them a few time with cold water to make sure they are clean.

Cornstarch

Southern style anything is all about the gravy. This dish uses a lighter gravy that lightly coats the meat and veggies that doesn’t weigh it down. For a lighter gravy i always opt for cornstarch. It leaves the gravy smooth and light.

Broth

A good broth is the foundation for a great gravy. I like to use vegetable broth for my meaty gravy then use the rendered pork, vegetables and seasonings to add much of the flavor.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE  BEST SOUTHER STYLE PORK NECKS, onions, & collard greens

season and sear

treating the neck bones right is the first step to making anything stewed in gravy. you want to penetrate the meat with a generous amount of seasoning prior to searing. a super hot pot is all you need. toss the pork neck into the pot and let it go. i go the no fuss route and leave everything in the pot to braise.

stock

stock adds alot of extra flavor to any dish. beef stock is generally the go-to for a dark rich broth. vegetable will also work just fine. monitor the sodium content in the stock added so you can adjust the seasoning according.

Collard Greens

making this a one pot dish is easy. wash the collard greens with cold water and vinegar to keep them from wilting. collards can be dirty so washing  and dumping the water is the best option. not cleaning the greens can make them gritty. swap the collard greens out with and chard, cabbage or even potatoes!

slurry

a cornstarch slurry works best when thickening up a simmering stew. to successfully add cornstarch to a hot dish first add and dissolve the starch in a drop of water then add it into the pot. adding it like this keeps the cornstarch from clumping immediately in the pot.

SIMILAR INGREDIENTS TO:

SOUTHERN STYLE PORK NECK BONES

BROWN STEW TURKEY NECKS

GRIDDLE PORK CHOPS AND ONIONS

ENJOY THIS RECIPE WITH:

BUTTER BRAISED CABBAGE WEDGES

SPRING SALAD + CARROT & SAFFLOWER VINAIGRETTE

LEMON SUNFLOWER DRESSING

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