Pork neck. Use this cut for the best BBQ pork chops you've ever had!
as good as it gets pork neck
Heavenly grilled pork neck!
The problem with today's pork is that it is far too lean. I guess reduced fat consumption has its advantages, but man, the price we pay for this healthier eating through dry and tasteless pork chops seems pretty steep!
I believe that if you're going to eat something, don't dilute what makes it great, in the effort to make it healthier. Enjoy it as it should be enjoyed, and just eat it less often. Fettuccini Alfredo needs heavy cream and butter, chicken without a crisped and browned skin is second rate, and pork needs fat!
Healthy eating can be lovely, and using seasonal and local vegetables and local seafood makes simple healthy eating a delight. But when it comes time to eat some pork, get the good stuff.
Thankfully, even the most ardent mad scientists in their weird pig defattening laboratories has not been able to completely destroy the taste and fat content of the glorious pig neck, (sometimes sold as pork jowl). This is the best cut of pork that you've probably never seen for sale. I don't know whether it's the name or the fat content that scares purveyors away from selling this cut, but you should visit a good local butcher, and have that person reserve this fantastic cut of meat for you.
Living in Thailand has been an eye opening experience. Thai's value flavor far more than tenderness, and cuts like the pork neck, or the beef brisket are about the tastiest cuts, and therefore the most expensive. They're practically giving away the dry and tasteless pork loin and pork tenderloin here!
The pork neck is a well muscled and very flavorful cut of meat, with a lot more fat than the pork shoulder, and yet still a lot less fat than the pork belly. The pork neck is wonderful used in many preparations, and at the restaurant we use it for grilling, braising, and even slow smoky BBQ.
Grilled pork chops can so easily dry out, but try cutting off good thick pork chops from a pork neck roast, and you'll be amazed at the juiciness and flavor of what comes off the grill.
Use pork neck instead of other cuts of pork for all your favorite recipes, and see what a difference it will make. Roasts will be tender and basted by the fat within the neck, and in my opinion, pork neck makes for the very best smoky pulled pork BBQ possible. The other great thing about the cut is that because it is so rarely sold whole, you can usually get it for a great price.
If you're going to eat pork, do it right. The fat on the neck is throughout the cut, meaning that no matter how you prepare it, that fat will baste and flavor the meat deliciously. You don't have to eat the fat, but the meat beside it will be heavenly.
Comments
My mouth was watering reading this article, not a pretty site! As always thanks for the great tips.
Hello. I have been searching for the pork neck cut in the US, but all the butchers I ask say there is no such cut. They only know about pork neck bones and say there is not much meat on the neck. Do you know if there is another name for this cut of meat? Is it a certain part of the butt or shoulder cut? If you could help me out, that would be great. Thanks!
just got back from greece, and have been eating neck chops cooked on the barbie, best pork ive had.
GO TO ANY POLISH BUTCHER TO GET REAL PORK NECK, KARKOWKA IN POLISH TRANSLATION.
if anyone from PA is looking for this you can find it in port richmond philly. richmond ave. to be exact. just as warchol said this is a polish butcher shop. its sold as karkovka. the best cut especially great on the grill.
I am new to pork neck in a way... that looks like a small mammal or 'big rat" to me.
I like and eat pork so I got this package thinking that was not much different but...for some reason when I tasted it I had the feeling of eating armadillo or similar.
My "pork neck' can easily be a small mammal by its shape and taste, totally different than chops or sirloin. How can I be absolutely sure next time about the neck I am cooking?
I have seen this cut at Mexican Supermarkets- Mexican Meat Markets. Neck or "carne de puerco del pescueso "
I have never seen pork neck for sale in the US in all my years there, but in Russia it is a very common cut - and is GREAT compared to ANYTHING you will find in the US at any price!
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In Thailand, the pork neck is the most expensive cut of pork. Lean white cuts, such as the loin and tenderloin, are the cheapest!
When I was in the Philippines every special occasion would have a Lechon (whole slow smoke roasted suckling pig) on the menu. The "guest of honor" would usually be me, the foreigner (it was a matter of honor for them to roll out the red carpet for out of town guests), and I was always given meat from the neck. It would be served with a heavy slightly sweet and sour sauce(I think it was made from liver, coconut milk, soy sauce, vinegar, pressed sugar cane, and some sort of fruit)that was an experience just by itself. The meat was unbelievably good and the sauce was a perfect contrast. Together they would sort of short circuit your brain and open up a clear pathway to its pleasure center.
In Germany it's almost a national dish, called Schweinebraten which is most commonly used with the neck cut (Hals), and braised for hours until it melts in your mouth and served with a flavorful sauce and often a big steaming dumpling (knoedel) and a large beer...mmmmmm!
in slovakia we have this meal often, we dont eat beef meat a lot, we prefer pork meat, especially this kind :) it is really delicious, it is great with garlic and grilled
is there a place in los angeles where i can buy this cut of meat
Is there a place in Hanoi where I can buy this cut of pork?
You can find it in any Serbian butcher shop.
I had a pork neck steak in Prague. Ordered it because I had never heard of it before. It was amazing tasting, cut like a ribeye. I'm hooked!
in SE PA pork neck is also available at GIANT supermarkets
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Thanks for the tip mani!
I have just purchased 2(3kg)pork necks from Chinese Butcher in Dandenong, Melbourne Australia. This is a standard item in their store.
it is really delicious, romanien dish.
ork neck also known as Pork Butt, Collar butt is sold here in Australia and I find it so tender - it is my faovurite cut. I bought one today l.56 kilos - $16AD and had the butcher cut it into 8 steaks.
You can occasionally get this cut from Revival Meats in Houston, Texas. They are at the Urban Harvest farmers' market at Eastside (Saturdays) and downtown (Wednesdays) and are also opening a store within the next month.
What part of the pig is pork neck? When you look at the cuts butchers make, this has got to be part of one of them! Is it the top end of the shoulder? That would make it the butt. That would make sense, it's about as close to the neck as you can get. I have to say i've been quite frustrated trying to find pork neck in San Diego. I've looked in every butcher shop and Asian market in town. The butchers ALL say "there's no such thing".
Better than any fillet!
I cut up a decent sized pork neck into roughly 7 equally sized 'chunks' - try to keep cuts without cutting along the grain on the muscle, but keep it to cross sections as one should. drizzle a tiny bit of oilve oil onto the meat, season with a some mixed green herbs, a splash of garlic, salt and pepper. Wrap each section up into some heavy duty foil (shiny side in)and throw directly on top of the coals of your BBQ (in south africa we call it a braai) and rotate it 90degress every 5-8 minutes. when the meat is done, you would have locked in all that flavour, the meat is soft and tender, literally melts in the mouth......
For the price,quality and taste of this dish, I'd eat this over a lean beef fillet anyday. - Enjoy
You should be able to buy pork neck from any butcher in Australia. For a low price too!
In Russia mostly evereone in cocking SHASHLIK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashlik
from this cut, or you can greel it, this is the best cut for everething. But I can''t find it in Florida area.
I tried do it in USA from other cuts, no luck, not even close, but last week I did it in russia again, it it was so tasty, I can''t even say how it was. This main answer in this meat. If you can find it, you can do real nice SHASHLIK.
This is my favorite reciept :
cut pork neck for pieces an about 1.5 - 2 inch
take onion and cut onion ring with diameter 1.5 inch
Take mayoness , we buy MAYO in USA, very close taste
Paprika
Black paper
salt
garlik powder
mix all together.
Take a pot, add onion and meat and mix all with this MOYO and species
Keep in reefregeerator an about 3-4 hours.
Make real charcoal greel, must be REAL RED.
Place meat in steel sticks and add onion ring between every piece of meat ( I like add also tomato slice, but I not recommend to do it in first time, it will burn)
Place sticks over chaorcoal ( 4-5 inc above), stay close and rotate it often, try to get brown color from all sides, don't burn it. When it done, enjoy.
Here is answer, in USA ???? call pork neck- boston butt
in China, the part of meat is not allowed for sell and eat as it may cause many problem.
I got neck bones at Walmart. They do have weird cuts of meat, chicken feet too. How great is that. Pretty cheap.
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