Smoked Pork Neck Bone Gravy over rice with cornbread and greens

Jul 29 2014

One meat I very seldom see around here are neck bones. The other day when I was at my butchers, Kah Meats, and I saw two bags of pork neck bones in his freezer I had to have a bag. The one I chose was 4.49 lbs. at .79 cents a pound!  Neck bones are usually used for making soups or stews so I went looking for a recipe.

I found one at Food52 by Pat; she posts to Foo52 and has a blog spot, inpatskitchen.blogspot.com. Her Smoked pork neck bone gravy over rice was just what I wanted.

She used 1 ½ lbs. of smoked neck bones and a lb. of ones she browned up. I smoked my own neck bones and changed the cooking order some but all the ingredients were hers.

I smoked a little over half of the bones in my Traeger seasoned with Penzey’s Cajun seasoning. I did them on smoke mode P4 and was running 170 to 180 grill level the first hour. After I got them on at 12:00 I finished up the back yard mowing I didn’t get done yesterday. At 1:00 the grandson came to stain my park bench; his first big paint job and he did great!

The second hour my smoker was running about 180 to 190 deg. grill level; I had my 6 inch amazin tube smoker going with oak pellets for some extra smoke.

At 2:00 I upped the smoker to 300 deg. for about 35o deg. grill level while I got my 5.5 quart Dutch oven with a TBS. of bacon grease heating on my outdoor gas burner to brown up the rest of the neck bones with a little salt and pepper. I had to do them in two batches and transferred them to a large stainless pot.  I added the smoked bones and covered with water. I added a stalk of celery, a small onion salt and pepper and brought to a slow boil. I took the Dutch oven inside to use for the rest of the cook.

While the neck bones were cooking I baked a box mix cornbread in a cast iron skillet in the oven. I know this is a southern dish and most southerners would prefer non-sweetened cornbread, but I am a Yankee and like sweet cornbread!

The cornbread was done and the neck bones had been cooking about an hour and a half. I removed the bones and took inside to cool. I set the pot off the burner and covered to add the broth back in.

After the bones had cooled enough to handle I picked all the meat off. I diced up a large Vidalia onion, 5 celery sticks and 1 ½ large green peppers. I used some extra of all since I had more meat than Pat’s recipe. I added a TBS. of bacon grease to my Dutch oven and took back out to my gas burner. When it got hot I added the veggies in with a little dried garlic flakes, salt and pepper and cooked until the veggies were soft. I added the broth back in and all the meat from the neck bones and brought to a slow boil. Later I added about 3 TBS. Worcestershire sauce.

I opened a can of collard greens for me to have and heated with some salt, pepper and hot sauce. My wife does not like greens. I had brown flour on hand so mixed a half cup with ¾ cup of water and made slurry to thicken the broth.

All had been cooking about an hour and a half so I added in the flour slurry; it thickened up pretty quick so I stirred in some sliced green onions and took inside. I had rice done in my rice cooker; it was a little before 6:00. My wife just had the gravy over rice with cornbread and butter. I had the gravy over rice, topped with some more sliced green onions, Cholula hot sauce, salt and pepper. I had my greens on the side and had 3 pieces of buttered cornbread to eat with it.

My wife liked it and I thought it was great. I don’t think you could find any cheaper dish with this much flavor to fix. It would fill a lot of bellies at a reasonable price! This is a true southern comfort food and tasted pretty good with the cool weather we have been having. I will definitely fix it this winter. I know my butcher will always get me some neck bones.

Click here for Pat's recipe

Seasoned bones for the smoker

Done smoking

Browning the rest

Meat in another pot

Water to cover, celery and onion

Cornbread done

Cooked down

Bones cooling

Veggies cooking

Meat to add in

Meat and broth added in

Brown flour slurry

Thickened, green onions added, ready to serve

My supper

Pork Chops with Potatoes, Carrots and Cabbage

Jul 26 2014

Friday I was happy to get the picket fence done at our sons. We got the gate in and all looks nice. Now all it needs is for his wife to white wash it.

Today I got a 5 slat wood bench stained and now all my outdoor furniture looks nice. I had four nice center cut pork chops and was hungry for some potatoes, cabbage and carrots cooked up for supper.

I coated the chops with kosher salt and wrapped in plastic wrap and they were in the fridge about four hours. An hour and a half before smoking I wiped them good and placed in a pan with a rack and back in the fridge.

For the veggies I browned up some bacon in my cast iron chicken fryer, removed it and drained some of the grease then browned some onions just until getting brown. I then added the potatoes, carrots and cabbage wedges, about a half quart of chicken stock, salt and pepper and added the bacon back in. I brought it to a boil and then on slow simmer, covered for an hour and half. When I leave cabbage in wedges to cook I do not core it and then the wedges stay together for serving.

I heated my Traeger on 180 deg. I was getting 200 deg. grill level. I got the chops on at 4:45 and after 20 minutes went to 270 deg. grill level. At 5:20 I turned the chops and went to 300 deg. grill level and went to 350 grill level the last 15 minutes for, a total of 1 ¼ hours. If you note the one chop didn’t look like a center cut and that’s the one the cook ate!

I had some good bread and my compound butter to serve with the meal. I like to mash up my potatoes and carrots together, add some butter and broth from the veggies. It all tasted great.

Chops from my butcher Kah Meats

Wiped after a dry brine

For the veggies

Bacon browned

Onions in

All in

Ready for the smoker

After turning the chops

All done

Veggies are done

My supper

Meatloaf, Cheesy Potatoes and Green Beans

Jul 23 2014

A fellow LTBBQ member, HOS, High on Smoke made me hungry for meatloaf and his recipe looked good so I used it. After doing up 3 sticks of compound butter I cleaned some green beans and then mixed up the meatloaf.

The only thing I changed from his recipe was I used my Kah’s BBQ sauce, it compares to Sweet Baby Rays but tangier and a touch of heat. I think he should have said to drain the tomatoes and green chilies. I used Rotels and mashed them some, it looked like too much liquid so I didn’t add very much of it. When I got it all mixed up seemed a little wet to me so I added another ¼ cup of Panko bread crumbs. I placed it in the fridge to set up some for a few hours.

I cleaned and sliced up some red potatoes, in a bowl I added a can of Campbells cheddar cheese and a little buttermilk and stirred to get all the potatoes coated. I placed half in a casserole dish added about a handful of Kraft’s shredded triple cheddar cheese and some salt and pepper. I added the other half and more shredded cheddar, salt and pepper. I then poured some buttermilk over to come up half way on the potatoes. I got a little too much but they were good, just a little runnier than I like. The potatoes I did in the oven at 350 deg. F, one hour covered then a half hour uncovered.

For the green beans I followed Tanya, tatonka3a2’s lead and added onions bacon and Tatonka dust. I place the green beans in a basket and sprayed with olive oil, Tantonka dust, 3 slices of onions, more olive oil and Tatonka dust and two slices of bacon on top. I got them on just after the meatloaf, I took them out and mixed up some and let set, looked like they would get too done. I put them back in the last 15 minutes.

I put the meatloaf in at 4:30 at about 200 deg. grill level then went to 300 deg. at 5:00. The last 20 minutes I went to 350 deg. grill level and basted the meatloaf with some of the BBQ sauce. The meatloaf hit 158 deg. IT at 6:00. I let sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving all. I had a take home and bake baguette ready and we had some of my compound butter on it.

It all tasted good, the meat loaf was very good HOS. My wife and I both noted how good the onions were with the Tatonka dust on them. I can see some grilled onions with Tatonka dust in the near future!

Printable meatloaf recipe

Meatloaf ingredients

Layering the potatoes

Ready for the oven

Green beans

Green beans are done

Meatloaf done

Ready to serve

My suppper

Flax Seed Flat Bread and Compound Butter

Jul 23 2014

Today was a busy day for me. The son wanted to take a day off from fence building and I was glad too. Having had a lot of sandwiches lately I was ready for a meat potato and veggie meal with some good bread and butter.

This morning I gave my smoker a good cleaning out and changed the foil on the drip pan. I usually do that every cook or two but lately I have been a little lazy about it so it really needed it.

Inspired by fellow LTBBQ member Ahron, African meat’s linseed bread I wanted to make some. I looked up linseed and like I thought it is the same as flax seed. I found a recipe for flax seed flat bread I wanted to try. It looked simple and easy. I had some Bob’s Red Mill Inn flax seed meal to use. The only other ingredients were eggs, water, sugar and baking powder. No kneading or rolling, just mix, let sit 5 minutes, pour on a baking sheet, spread out and bake.

It turned out great. It has a distinct taste but I like it. I took it out after 13 minutes but next time will do the 15 minutes. It was soft and delicious with some of my gorgonzola, garlic chive butter smeared on! This bread was not for tonight’s supper but will probably eat some for breakfast.

I had not made any of my gorgonzola, garlic and chive compound butter lately and we were hungry for some. It is great smeared on some good bread or to top a good steak. I use a stick of butter some fresh chives and Penzey’s dried garlic flakes. I mix the softened butter, two heaping TBS. of crumbled gorgonzola cheese, a good TBS. of snipped chives and a TBS. of dried garlic flakes. I mash in the cheese with a fork and mix well, place all on a piece of plastic wrap and roll up. I made three sticks and will vacuum seal two and freeze for later.

Printable bread resipe

Bread ingredients

Ready to bake

Done

Bottom side

Sliced

Butter ingredients

Three stages

BLT's Caprese Style and Sweet Corn

Jul 21 2014

I took a day off helping the son with his fence. I needed to trim and mow the yard. At first I planned on getting carry ins for supper. Then I had an idea for having two of my favorite summer things that would be an easy cook.

So I was off to the grocery to get some bread, mozzarella and Romaine lettuce, then I stopped and got 6 ears of corn from Sutters, then off to my butcher Kah Meats for a pound of bacon. I would have BLT caprese style sandwiches and corn on the cob. The girl at Sutters was still unloading her morning pick. The first time I got corn she said it was extra good this year from the nice spring rains we had.

When I got done with the yard work it was about time to get the bacon in my Traeger. It is the best bacon fryer there is, just put it in at about 300 deg. and let cook. You don’t even have to turn it. I think it is a little healthier too since the rendered fat runs off.

I husked 4 ears of corn and steamed them in my rice cooker. I could just barely get 4 ears in. I like using the rice cooker, when it is done steaming for a set time it goes to warm hold.

I got the tomatoes, mozzarella, and lettuce ready and toasted the bread for our sandwiches. I smeared some good mayonnaise on the bread then a generous amount of bacon, a layer of mozzarella and then under the broiler to melt over the bacon. On top of that went a tomato slice, some fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and a piece of Romaine lettuce.

Did that ever hit the spot! We both thought the mozzarella and basil was good on the BLT and the corn was extra good and sweet. We had butter, Penzey’s sandwich sprinkle and parmesan on the corn.

I thought this second batch of corn I steamed was much better over the first that I boiled in water.

Philly Steak on a Boullio

Jul 19 2014

The son and I took a day off from fence setting today. The grandson stayed overnight and hung out here most of the day. I was a little lazy today and got a couple short naps in.

I sliced up the rest of the eye of round I did yesterday; sliced it thin on my slicer. I was in for beer today and Sandman said my roast looked good. I told him I was having sandwiches tonight, He said a Philly steak sub. I said no but then changed my mind, sounded good.

I bought some Boullio wheat buns for the sandwiches and stopped and bought some good Tennessee tomatoes. I had some provolone cheese for it and some Bob Evans mac and cheese for a side. I like the Boullio buns they have a nice crust that holds up well for a sandwich and the inside is light and airy.

My wife was not going to eat supper, she went to the ordaining of a new minister at her church and they had a dinner after. Our son had to work so the daughter in law and grandson said they would eat, she would not have a sandwich, a veggie, and the grandson just wanted the meat with mac and cheese and tomato. I would just be making a sandwich for myself.

I caramelized some Vidalia onions in a little olive oil and butter, added a little salt and a pinch of sugar. When they were getting browned I added a little beef bouillon. I added enough of the beef for the grandson and me and nuked the mac and cheese. I piled some beef on the bun, topped with some onions and provolone cheese. I sprayed the top half of the bun with some olive oil and did under the broiler.

That was a great sandwich; the beef was nice and tender. Besides the mac and cheese and tomatoes the daughter in law had some veggies from my leftover stir fry. The grandson didn’t eat that great, too many snacks through the day I think!

Good!