If you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner idea, then this recipe is perfect for you!
Beef neck bones can be used as one ingredient or two in your favorite meal.
What Are The Ingredients In A Beef Neck Bones Recipe?
The following list of ingredients will help to make your own homemade beef neck bone soup.
- 1 lb. beef neck bones
- 4 cups water (or stock)
- 1/3 cup minced onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 5-7 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Bouquet garni – 1 bay leaf, 3 parsley stems, 2 thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine
- Pinch of allspice
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Butter or oil
- Red wine
- Sherry
- Lemon juice
- Celery leaves
- Dried bread cubes
- Basmati rice
- Croutons
- Raisins
- Shredded cheese
- Thyme sprigs
You will need to follow these steps to prepare this delicious dish:
How Do You Cook Beef Neck Bones?
Slow cooking is an excellent way to prepare these bones because it allows them to become tender while also retaining their flavor.
The process takes about five hours but it doesn’t require much work on your part.
You just need to add all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it go until it reaches the desired temperature.
Once done, they will come out nice and soft, making this a great dish to serve at home for anyone who loves eating comfort food.
Ingredients in the beef neck bones recipe
- 1 pound (454 grams) beef neck bones
- 4 cups (946 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
Steps to make the beef neck bones recipe
Step 1: Add the meaty portions of the beef necks into the slow cooker.
You want to cut off any excess fat before adding them so that they don’t get greasy when cooked.
It also helps if you slice each piece down the middle before placing it inside the pot.
Once you have placed all of the pieces in there, pour in the 4 cups of water.
Next up, stir in the soy sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
Don’t forget to add in the onions and garlic too.
Stir everything together well.
If you prefer not to use tomatoes, feel free to substitute the soy sauce instead.
Just remember to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly.
Step 2: Cover the pot and set it aside to simmer for 3-5 hours.
Make sure to check every once in awhile to see how it’s doing.
Adjust the heat level as needed if the mixture starts to boil over.
After three hours of cooking time, take the lid off and turn the stove back on high heat.
Cook the beef necks for another 30 minutes before turning the heat off again.
Let the pot sit uncovered until the next step.
Step 3: When the third hour has passed, open the lid and remove the beef necks from the slow cooker.
Put them onto some paper towels to absorb any extra moisture.
Remove the layer of fat from the top of the beef necks by running a knife along the side of each bone.
After removing the layers of fat, rinse the bones under cold water and pat dry with paper towel.
Next up, put the beef necks back into the slow cooker.
Pour the contents of the bowl back into the pot and cover with the lid.
Set the oven to low heat and leave it alone for another 3 hours.
At the end of the fourth hour, remove the lid from the pot and uncover it.
Place the beef necks on individual plates and garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Step 4: Before serving, sprinkle the tops of the beef necks with paprika.
Serve immediately after taking pictures.
What Is The Best Beef Neck Bones Recipe?
Beef neck bones are part of the animal’s shoulder region.
They come from the neck portion of an animal.
You will find them in grocery stores along with other cuts of meat such as short ribs, oxtails, and brisket.
The beef neck bone comes from the area where most of the muscles connect to each other.
When purchasing these cuts, look at how much fat they have.
If there isn’t too much, it means they were cut very close together and therefore weren’t exposed to air long enough before being sold to market.
They should also smell like fresh beef instead of smelling like old meat.
If they don’t smell right, it means they haven’t been properly stored.
Avoid any cuts that seem dry or brown on their surface.
You may want to ask your butcher if he has any leftovers so you can buy more.
Some butchers sell all their leftover meats by weight rather than by number.
That way, you won’t need to worry about counting out exactly what you want.
It’s not hard to figure out how many pieces you’ll get when cooking up some beef neck bones.
For example, a 5-pound package contains 12 pounds (5 kg) of beef neck bones.
Each pound equals 4 ounces (113 grams).
So, divide that into 12 and you have 50 ounces (1.4 kilograms) of neck bones.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Eating Beef Neck Bones?
Beef neck bones are an excellent source of protein, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, and selenium.
They also provide many other vitamins and minerals such as copper, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.
The meat from the neck bone has very little fat on it so it doesn’t weigh down your stomach when eaten raw.
In fact, the leaner cuts of muscle will give you more energy than if you had consumed red meat.
However, some people may find that they have a difficult time chewing the tough meat because of its texture.
But, cooking them properly makes them much easier to chew and digest.
When cooked slowly over low heat, these bones become tender and delicious.
You can use them alone or add them into a variety of recipes.
Here are some examples of ways to cook beef neck bones:
- Slow Cooker Beef Neck Bones Recipe (10 minutes)
- Stuffed Beef Neck Bones (15 minutes)
- Baked Beef Neck Bones Recipe (30 minutes)
- Barbecue Beef Neck Bones Recipe (20 minutes)
- Corned Beef & Noodles (25-45 minutes)
Are Beef Neck Bones Good For You?
Beef neck bones are an excellent source of protein and calcium.
They also contain iron, phosphorus, and zinc.
All these nutrients help to keep bones strong and healthy.
The only downside with using beef neck bones is their texture.
Neck bones tend to snap easily when cut into smaller pieces, so they won’t work well if you want them whole.
If you choose to use them whole, make sure to cook them for longer than usual.
Another thing to consider before cooking them is how long it takes for them to become tender.
Depending on the size of each bone, you may need to let them simmer for up to eight hours.
How do I know which part of the neck bone to eat first?
When choosing which part of the neck bone to consume, think about where the meat was located.
For example, if you were able to see any fat pockets around the neck bones, those would be the best places to start eating from.
Otherwise, if there isn’t much visible fat, start at the tip.
What Are Some Interesting Facts About Beef Neck Bones?
Beef neck bones are the long pieces of meat from the bottom side of the cow’s neck.
They are quite tender because they have been separated from other parts of the cow’s body during slaughtering.
They are often sold by butchers at grocery stores and specialty food shops.
You might also find them at butcheries near where you live.
But if you don’t want to go through the hassle of going to a store, you can always make them yourself using an Instant Pot.
Where do beef neck bones come from?
Many cows today are raised on feedlots, which means their bodies contain less fat than those who were raised on grass fields before feeding lots became common.
This is why many people prefer eating leaner cuts of meat like chicken thighs or lamb shanks.
However, it seems that most people still enjoy consuming fatty cuts of meat such as pork belly and beef brisket.
And while these types of meats require more time and effort to prepare, they taste great when done right!
But what about beef neck bones?
They don’t seem very appealing, especially compared to their fatty counterparts.
Yet, there are several reasons why you should try making beef neck bones instead of just buying them from the market.
Here are three ways in which beef neck bones help improve your diet.
- 1. Reducing saturated fats
- 2. Increasing fiber intake
- 3. Improving vitamin B12 levels
How Did Beef Neck Bones Become Popular?
The popularity of beef neck bones may have started during World War II when people were trying to make do without meat products like hamburger patties.
Neck bones from cows became popular after they were boiled down into stock which made them more palatable than raw cow necks.
Beef neck bones are also known by other names such as “cow tail,” “cow knuckle,” “cow hock,” “cow heel bone,” and “cow shinbone.”
They come from the front legs of cattle and are usually discarded at the butcher shop.
History of beef neck bones
Cow tails were first introduced to America in 1680s by colonists who brought them back from their travels abroad.
When the British took over the colonies, they continued to use cow tails until 1820s when President Thomas Jefferson banned the importation of cow tails because he believed it was cruel to eat cow tails.
However, Americans still wanted to consume the product so they turned to boiling the rest parts of the animal including the neck bones.
In the early 1900s, farmers began using the leftover parts of beef including the bones to help feed animals on farms.
In order to save money, farmers would throw away the unused parts of the carcass which included the beef neck bones.
At that time, those neck bones were commonly referred to as “cowsheels.” When the Great Depression hit in 1929, many families had less income and couldn’t afford to buy food and needed cheap meals.
As a result, many restaurants switched to selling soup instead of actual meat.
To keep up with demand, cooks added inexpensive cuts of meat such as beef neck bones and chicken gizzards to their soups.
During WWII, soldiers were given rations of canned foods.
After the war ended, many soldiers returned home and purchased these same foods.
These soldiers then sold off the cans of beef neck bones to restaurants and grocery stores.
Eventually, restaurants and supermarkets began selling beef neck bones along with other cheaper cuts of meat.
As we mentioned above, the name changed from “cowsheel” to “neckbones” around 1930-1940 due to the fact that most American citizens didn’t know what a “sheepskin” was.
By 1940, both “cow” and “neck” were dropped from the term since the word “cowsheel/necks” just sounded weird.
What Is The History Of Beef Neck Bones?
Beef neck bones were once very common in American kitchens because they were considered a cheap cut of meat.
When it came time to butcher the cow, the neck was the last part removed before being sent to market.
Neck bones come from the area around the shoulder blade, which includes the spine, ribs and clavicle.
They provide a lot of flavor and nutrition when they are prepared correctly.
There are several variations on how to cook these bones.
Some people like them crunchy while others prefer them soft and tender.
One thing that all cooks agree on is that if you want to get the most out of your beef neck bones, you need to soak them overnight in water prior to cooking.
Soaking helps remove any impurities that might have settled into the bones during the processing stage.
What Are Some Different Ways To Prepare Beef Neck Bones?
Beef neck bones are often referred to as “cowboy steak” due to their thick cut nature.
These cuts are often found on top of the cow because they require less effort than other parts of the animal.
Neck bones tend to have a thicker layer of fat on them which makes them more tender than bone-in ribeye steaks.
So if you want an easy way to cook up some delicious meat, try cooking up these tasty neck bones!
Slow Cooker Beef Neck Bones Recipe
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 5 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 10 cups (2 L) beef stock
- 14 oz. (400 g) bag of baby carrots
- 2 lb. (910g) beef neck bones
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh rosemary to garnish
Are There Any Risks Associated With Eating Beef Neck Bones?
Beef neck bones are considered an inexpensive cut of meat.
They are low on fat but high on protein, which makes them a great choice when it comes to cooking.
However, they are also extremely tough, so it takes time and patience to cook them properly.
You should not eat raw beef neck bones because they carry bacteria from the animal.
If eaten uncooked, these bones will make you sick.
You should also avoid consuming beef bone marrow since it contains blood cells, which could cause serious health problems if consumed.
The best way to have beef neck bones is by preparing them before eating them.
This includes boiling, roasting, sautéing, broiling, grilling, pan-frying, or deep-frying.
When cooking beef neck bones, you need to ensure that all parts of the bone are cleaned thoroughly and removed from the carcass.
You should also remove any visible pieces of sinew and tendons.
Once done, place the prepared beef neck bones into a pot, cover them with water, and bring the temperature up until it boils.
Boil the beef necks for at least 10 minutes, and drain off any excess liquid.
Once drained, add salt, pepper, and other spices such as thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
Allow the mixture to cool down while covered with aluminum foil.
After about 15 minutes, discard the herbs and spices.
Now, transfer the cooled mixture into a large stockpot and fill it with enough filtered cold water to completely cover the necks.
Bring the contents of the stockpot up to a boil over medium heat.
As soon as it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pot and let simmer for 2 hours.
Strain out the beef necks using a colander.
Now, return the strained liquid back to the stockpot and add 1 cup of dry red wine.
Bring the mixture back up to a boil again.
Reduce the heat to low once more and allow it to simmer uncovered for another hour until most of the alcohol has evaporated.
Add the remaining 3 cups of red wine after the first hour of simmering.
After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and leave it undisturbed for at least 20 minutes.
Transfer the beef necks to a plate.
Remove the bones from the liquid using tongs and place them onto a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
Bake the beef necks in a 200 F oven for 45 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the beef necks inside overnight.
In the morning, use a fork to pull apart each bone and enjoy!
Equipment
- 1 oven
Ingredients
- Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral oil)
- 4 pounds beef neck bones
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 cup beef stock unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a Dutch oven, heat some oil over medium to medium-high heat (or other large, oven-proof pot). Sprinkle salt on all sides of the beef and sear in batches until browned; set aside. (As you go through the batches of meat, you may need to add more oil.)
- Add the onion to the same pot that you seared the meat in (with more oil if necessary), season with salt, and cook until the onion begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more after adding the garlic cloves, tomato paste, thyme, and pepper. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add the reserved beef neck bones and beef stock to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and bake for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until fork tender.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.