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Prep time
1 hour
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Cook time
2 hours
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Makes
8
Author Notes
My brother's been living in Baton Rouge for the last four years or so, and when he comes up to visit, conversation always turns to food. When I first asked him about popular dishes other than the normal gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice that he sees there, he said that he's never seen so much gravy and rice in his life. Talk always centers around whose mama, aunt, cousin, or sister makes the best. Gravy and rice is filling and cheap, so here I put my spin on it with fresh and smoked pork neck bones and some toasted flour for thickening. —inpatskitchen
Test Kitchen Notes
This is one of those recipes you'll go to whenever you see that neck bones are on sale at the store and you want to take a shot at cooking an extremely flavorful dish that features them. Once you try them, you'll buy them again and again. And it couldn't be easier to make. After browning the neck bones, sauté some onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, cayenne, and black pepper in the same pot, then return the neck bones and smoked neck bones to the pot and cook until the meat is about falling off the bone. Take off the meat, thicken with a slurry, then add some finishing touches before your luxurious gravy is ready. You can make it days ahead of time, and the taste will only improve as it sits. It's so good, you may find yourself reaching for neck bones at the store more often than you'd think.
If you can't find smoked neck bones, the developer mentions that you can use a smoked ham hock or two instead. Also feel free to experiment with the spice and seasonings, but be sure not to forgo the sliced scallions, which help tie everything together at the end. Serve over some rice, and to make it a whole meal, have some collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread to go with the gravy alongside. Hearty and filling and fun to make, you may find yourself cooking neck bones even for special occasions, using a cut of meat that definitely won't break the bank. —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1 cup
all-purpose flour
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1 1/2 pounds
fresh pork neck bones
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Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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2 tablespoons
vegetable oil, divided
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1 pound
smoked pork neck bones
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1
large onion, finely chopped
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1
large green bell pepper, finely chopped
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2
celery stalks, finely chopped
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4
garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1/4 teaspoon
cayenne pepper, or to taste
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3 tablespoons
(or more) Worcestershire sauce
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1 cup
thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
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8 to 10 cups
hot cooked white rice
Directions
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In a small skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the flour, stirring constantly, until a light tan color; set aside.
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Season the fresh neck bones with salt and pepper. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and brown the fresh neck bones on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
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In the same pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
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Return the browned neck bones along with the smoked bones to the pot. Pour in the water to cover (about 8 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 hour, until the meat is ready to fall off the bones.
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Remove the bones from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones with a knife or clean hands. Return the meat to the pot, being careful not to include any small bones.
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In a small bowl, make a slurry by mixing a little bit of water with
½ cup of the reserved toasted flour. Add to the pot and bring to a boil. Check the thickness of your gravy; if it's too thin, you may want to make another slurry with some or all of the remaining flour.
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Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and taste. Add salt as needed—it may take up to 1 tablespoon and will depend not only on your taste, but on how salty your smoked bones were. Stir in 1 cup of the scallions.
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Place about 1 cup of the cooked rice into each bowl, ladle some gravy over, and garnish with more scallions.
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Do Ahead: The gravy, without the scallions, can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool, cover, and chill. When ready to serve, bring to a boil.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
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