Another neck lover.
We do ours just like a chuck roast but have several variations.
Season the outside with at least salt and pepper. You can also use some onion powder, garlic powder, Mrs Dash etc. Use all or any, doesn't matter a lot. Better to err on the light side than over season in my opinion.
We cook ours in a cast iron dutch oven but you can use a regular pot if it's all you have. Heat the pot on the stove, add some cooking oil and sear the neck roast on all sides to brown nicely.
Add enough water to almost cover the meat. Also add at least one large onion, chopped. Add one to two whole bay leaves and about a pound of mushrooms. One of those square boxes they come in from the store is about right. I like mine just quartered or cut in half unless they are pretty big.
Cover and simmer on low for about 3 to 4 hours. Note: time till done varies a fair bit because the size of a neck can vary greatly. The neck from a yearling doe won't be any bigger than your arm, an adult doe about twice that size and a big buck can be downright huge. The time given above is about typical for an adult doe neck. You should not be able to pick it out of the pot whole. If it's not falling off the bone, it's not done. Oh, be sure to peak in now and then to check the water level. It will reduce down and the flavor concentrates amazingly BUT you don't want it to cook dry. Also, if you need to add water, only add to about an inch deep so you don't dilute the broth too much.
Now, at this point, you can go in several directions.
First, you can lift all the meat out onto a platter, spoon the mushrooms over the top and make gravy with the broth. Add home made mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice and you have my mother's classic Sunday dinner.
For those who like their potatoes, carrots celery and such with a roast, when the meat is starting to look done, add all those things into the pot and cook until tender. Serve it all up on a platter and again, make gravy with the broth.
Last, and one of my favorites, keep the water level a bit closer to where it started so you have extra broth. When you get to the point that the meat is falling off the bone, pull it all out and add about a half cup of barley to the broth. You can use regular or quick style but the regular takes close to an hour to cook. If you use regular, let simmer about a half hour before proceeding. Chop about 2 stalks of celery and about 3 carrots and 2 to 4 potatoes depending on size. Or, we mostly just use the baby carrots sold already peeled and put in about a bag full.
Taste the broth and if it's at all weak,add some beef bouillon. Tip : use the paste type in a jar, not the salty little cubes. The paste is way better. I believe the brand we like is called "better than bouillon".
Second tip, if you know you will be going this route, a bit of extra onion makes a good soup.
So, most likely you have a pretty large pile of meat at this point. Add back in whatever amount you want for the stew and save the rest to eat like a chuck roast. This meat is also great for making authentic tacos or tamales.
Pair the stew with a loaf of fresh, home made bread with butter and jelly....Mmmmmmm!
Oh, one last option, when nearly done, you can transfer everything to a foil roasting pan and place it in your smoker with wood of your choice. Be sure to use enough broth to almost cover the meat. I sometimes add some quartered apples. Smoke uncovered stirring about every 15 to 20 minutes until desired smoke flavor is reached. Shred like pulled pork and serve the same way with sauce of your choice.
This is about the only way I know to get really moist BBQ venison.
Topic: Neck Roast Recipe (Read 5145 times)
