Maybe you are expecting me to be writing a complaint or rant or something with the “wacky” title. Nope, it’s a recipe. No really!
Neck roast.
This recipe applies for any of the odd (cheaper or tougher) cuts from the Chuck (that is the front quarter on Beef or Venison). For my Neck Roast I used a Venison neck.
A 4-6 lb roast
(you can go bigger but the time will be longer and temp lower.)
2 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Tbs of Cajun Spice (Oregon Flavor Rack)
(OK, you can use your favorite Cajun spicy mix. I’m such a softy)
2-3 Tbs of Garlic Lovers Garlic (Oregon Flavor Rack)
(You can use 1 clove of fresh garlic minced or your favorite 3-4 Tbs of garlic powder)
I combine these dry ingredients in a bowl and then I adjust the flavor for my taste. How? I taste it and add as I see fit. It smells great by the way. I cover or rub the roast with the dry ingredients and then put the roast in a gallon sized Ziploc the night before I plan to cook it. (Yes, planning ahead is optional)
The roast goes in a roaster or roasting pan with some broth or water. I used 3 quarts in a huge roaster, you may want less. This amount of water gave me half an inch in the roaster, for a normal pan 2-3 cups should be plenty. I use the broth for a base for stew in another meal.
I put the roast in for about 3 -4 hours at 350. (These roasts require two things. Time and Water. If it doesn’t dry out it will be very forgiving about extending the cooking time.)
At the half-way point I do three things.
- Turn the roast over
- Sprinkle garlic and Cajun Spice on the roast. (just a little)
- I put potatoes in with the roast. You can use carrots, celery or any hardy veggies you like.
At this point you can also add some salt to taste. I add the salt to the broth and baste the meat, keeping in mind I have plans for the broth. This keeps the meal reasonable on salt content, in case someone is watching their salt intake. Spices from Oregon Flavor Rack are salt free, in case you are wondering. The broth will make great base for gravy, stew, or as au jus.
These roasts aren’t pretty but the flavor is outstanding. The extended cooking time and moisture are needed to help break down the toughness of these cuts, which they do very well.
Make your pain a pleasure, cook it the right way and you’ll be a hero.
