NECK BONES (PORK NECK AND NOODLES)

Neck Bones (Pork Neck and Noodles) image

This simple dish features pork neck bones simmered in seasoned water that slowly cooks into a broth. Elbow-shaped pasta is then added into the water to absorb all the meaty flavors. Erika Council, a software engineer who is also a professional cook and a food writer, shared the recipe, which she learned from her maternal grandmother, Geraldine Gavin Dortch. It shows up amid the more elegant dishes on the family Thanksgiving table as a subtle reminder of the food their enslaved ancestors cooked from the parts of the pig they had access to. It's a surprisingly rich, comforting and delicious dish coaxed from only a few ingredients.

Provided by Kim Severson

Time 3h30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 pounds pork neck bones
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups elbow-shaped pasta

Steps:

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Season neck bones all over with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Add neck bones to pot and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more. Add onions and 3 cups water. It's O.K. if the water doesn't cover all the neck bones; they will cook down.
Reduce heat to low, cover and slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
Remove the cooked neck bones to a separate bowl. Bring liquid to a boil, then add pasta and more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Stir constantly for the first 2 to 3 minutes to keep pasta from sticking. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.
Meanwhile, if you'd like, remove the meat from the bones using your fingers or a fork. Discard bones and any cartilage. When pasta is done, stir the cooked meat back into the pot. Serve hot alongside a heaping of greens (collard or mustard) and a hunk of cornbread.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 671, UnsaturatedFat 22 grams, Carbohydrate 22 grams, Fat 38 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 56 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 736 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams