Roast pork neck with pearl onions, glazed with honey at the end of cooking, for a special main dish for holidays or delicious family Sunday lunches. I love cooking a good roast, and this time I wanted to try preparing it with pork neck, a prized cut of pork, tender and flavorful, often used for capocollo salami but also excellent grilled as I usually do. My curiosity for a roast with this cut of meat brings me here, and I have to say I am very satisfied, the tender and flavorful meat pairs well with the pearl onions I added during the wine cooking in the pot, and to finish, I passed the roast in the oven with honey and orange juice glaze. From the cooking juices, with herbs and spices, I made a delicious accompanying sauce, the right blend of flavors and creaminess that enriches every slice of this prized holiday roast.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6-8
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients for Roast Pork Neck
- 2.2 lbs pork neck
- 2.2 lbs pearl onions
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 orange
- 2 tsps honey
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste rosemary
- to taste ground pepper
- to taste salt
- to taste cloves
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
Tools for Preparing Oven-Baked Pork Neck
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Immersion Blender
Steps for Preparing Roast Pork Neck
Season the meat with pepper and salt, rubbing it all over the surface. Tie the meat with kitchen twine to keep it closed during cooking. While tying, add a sprig of rosemary.
Then prepare a mince of carrot, celery, and one of the pearl onions, choosing the least appealing one.
Heat a non-stick pan, sear the meat on all sides. Let it brown well.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, add a little extra virgin olive oil and the minced vegetables. Cook on low heat, then add the meat. Add the wine, cover, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for about half an hour while preparing the pearl onions.
Clean all the pearl onions. Remove the outer layers and the root part, without cutting excessively. After washing them, brown them in the pan where the meat was seared.
Add the pearl onions to the meat, add the cloves, and cook for about an hour, until they are soft but not mushy.
Meanwhile, prepare orange juice, about half an orange, with a couple of teaspoons of honey and mix.
After this cooking time, about an hour and a half, place the meat in an ovenproof dish. Brush with the orange and honey glaze, pouring the glaze over the meat in the dish. Place in a hot oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, take the pearl onions and let them caramelize in a pan with a bit of orange juice and honey, or even vinegar for a contrasting flavor.
Reduce the cooking juices and blend with an immersion blender to obtain a good cream, if too thick, add a little water.
Once the meat is well-browned, remove it from the oven, let it rest a bit covered with aluminum foil, then slice it into fairly thick slices, not too thin, and serve with the caramelized pearl onions and the accompanying sauce made from the cooking juices.
Slice while still warm, then serve hot, reheating the sauce if necessary.
