A tribute to the South’s underprivileged is served in Southern pork neck bones and rice. Those whose lives were difficult and who had to get by with what they had
The best cuts of meat from four-legged animals typically come from the area that is removed from the head, tail, and feet. That is the origin of the phrase “eating high on the hog”!
Neck bones are common among the poor, so it makes sense that they would have them, but what ingenuity went into the creation of this dish? An unlikely cut of pork made into something wonderful!!!.
I grew up in a low-income Southern family, and I have fond memories of my grandmother cooking all kinds of “comfort foods,” including neck bones.
(To find neck bones, you might need to visit a Mexican Mercado or a real butcher shop. ).
The preparation of this Southern pork neck bones and rice dish required a lot of creativity. An unlikely cut of pork made into something wonderful!!!.
Watch me make my pork neck bones!
When neck bones are on sale at the store and you want to try making an incredibly flavorful dish with them, this is one of the recipes you’ll turn to. Once you try them, youll buy them again and again. And it couldnt be easier to make. Return the neck bones and smoked neck bones to the pot after browning them, add some onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, cayenne, and black pepper, and cook until the meat is nearly falling off the bone. Before your opulent gravy is ready, remove the meat, thicken with a slurry, then add a few finishing touches. It can be prepared days in advance, and as it sits, the flavor will only get better. You might find yourself grabbing neck bones at the store more frequently than you expected because it’s so good. If you can’t find smoked neck bones, the developer says you can substitute a couple of smoked ham hocks. Feel free to play around with the spices and seasonings as well, but don’t skip the sliced scallions because they help bring everything together in the end. For a complete meal, serve with rice and add collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread to go with the gravy. You might find yourself cooking neck bones even for special occasions because they are hearty, filling, and enjoyable to prepare. This is a meat cut that won’t break the bank. —The Editors.
When my brother visits, we always talk about food because he has been living in Baton Rouge for the past four years or so. He said he had never seen so much gravy and rice in his life when I first asked him about popular dishes besides the usual gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice that he sees there. Every conversation revolves around whose mother, aunt, cousin, or sister makes the best food. Gravy and rice are inexpensive and filling, so I’ve added some toasted flour and fresh, smoked pork neck bones to make my own version. —inpatskitchen.
Collard greens and caviar is the range in which we live life and love food. Here you will find a range of human interest stories about food and the culture of food we live in featuring home cooks to food enthusiasts, and culinary experts. And these stories will be accompanied by simple and tasty recipes designed to “hit you in your comfort zone.” There will be other food related features from time to time not to mention recipes from “moi,” because after all – I’m a journalist who stirs a few pots every now and then and writes about it. So dive in. Cook fearless. Eat well.
They came up with new uses for chitterlings and pig intestines using the leftovers from their owners. The same way, they transformed oxtails, pig feet, and neck bones into filling, rib-sticking entrees that continue to serve as both the trail of my history and the essence of my legacy.
My story
My parents migrated from the great state of Alabama. Southern food was squarely in my mom’s wheelhouse. Mom frequently cooked collard greens, black-eye peas, and cornbread. Along with these Southern favorites, Mom also served spaghetti and chili, which she learned to make after moving to Southern California.
The foodies in my family are my brother Montie and I. We frequently discuss food and recall some of our childhood favorites that my mother made. Pork neck bones and rice is one of those dishes. Mom used to cook them on our stovetop in a large pot. The aroma was unmistakable rich and robust. The bone marrow and connective tissue would dissolve as the meat cooked down, producing the most incredible luscious broth. Mom added rice and seasoning the pot with salt and plenty of pepper once the neck bones were completely fall off the bone tender.
That was delicious food, at least we thought so. And even now, the idea of eating Mom’s neck bones with rice almost makes me happy.
A recipe reimagined
Recently I had a hankering for neck bones and rice. I needed to recreate some culinary nostalgia to change my mood given the events of today. Neck bones and rice was the perfect remedy.
In South Los Angeles, I purchased three pounds of pork neck bones from Buddha Market. The butcher cut them in the most perfect serving sizes.
My pressure cooker was hidden in the back left corner of my disorganized kitchen cookware cabinet when I first got home. It was on and cooking after being closely examined and found to be in reasonably good condition.
I liberally sprinkled salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chipotle chili pepper on the neck bones to add a little smokiness. I browned the flour-dredged seasoned neck bones in a skillet before adding them to the pressure cooker. The pan drippings were used to make a roux, which I then applied to the neck bones.
After 35 minutes under pressure, they were done to perfection. I served them with some turmeric-infused brown jasmine rice that had been cooked in chicken stock. The delicious and satisfying flavor of mom’s recipe was present in this reimagined version as well. The small modifications I made to the recipe slightly improved the dish. I bet you never imagined that!.
An unexpected result
I called my mom and told her about the dish. I was so anxious for her to try it. However she was not. She even admitted that she didn’t like pork neck bones at all and wasn’t eager to try them. She added that the only reason she ever made them when we were kids was because they were cheap and allowed her to feed her family a filling meal when money was tight.
I was shocked because I didn’t know she felt that way. I always thought neck bones and rice was something special. Mom’s realization just highlights the potency of food memories and the emotions they evoke.
It was a very awkward moment between us. She agreed to try a tiny sample I sent with my brother to give her after sensing that.
It’s all good
Mom called me about an hour later and said, “Girl, I don’t know what you did to those neck bones, but they were delicious! You can make them for me whenever you want.
And I have, many times since then, always wearing a huge smile on my face.
The recipe is below if you want to go on a culinary adventure and try my modernized version of a traditional dish that has fed generations. Here’s to good eating!.
This reimagined version is sheer comfort food.
For neck bones
3 pounds pork neck bones, cut in serving sized pieces
¼ cup unbleached flour for roux
½ cup unbleached flour for drudging coating neck bones
4 tablespoons oil (canola, corn, vegetable, or grapeseed was used)
1 32-ounce carton of chicken broth (this recipe calls for Simple Truth Organic Free Range Chicken Broth)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped (for roux)
For rice
2 cups rice (brown Jasmine rice used in this recipe)
1 32-ounce carton of chicken broth (this recipe calls for Simple Truth Organic Free Range Chicken Broth)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Preparing neck bones
Rinse neck bones and pat dry.
Making roux
Cooking the neck bones
*Cooks Note: Although I prepared this recipe in a conventional pressure cooker, my brother followed the instructions and prepared it in an Instant Pot, getting the same outcomes.
Making rice
Putting it all together