Oven-Baked Pork Neck

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you bake a pork neck in the oven? Start by gathering all your ingredients. You can use any frozen berries: black currants, cherries, lingonberries, cranberries — or skip them entirely. But I really encourage you to use the berries: paired with honey they make a wonderful team and perfectly round out the flavor of the meat. You can swap the red onion for a regular yellow one, but red onion is the better choice here — it's more fragrant and less sharp.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the pork neck thoroughly and pat it dry with paper towels. Using a knife, cut deep crosswise slits into the pork, stopping about 3/4 inch (2 cm) from the bottom so it stays in one piece. Rub the pork with salt and pepper all over and inside the slits.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the onion and slice it into half-rings. Try to keep the half-rings intact rather than letting them fall apart into separate pieces, since you'll be tucking them whole into the meat.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put the frozen berries (cranberries, in my case) into a blender. Add the honey and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil.

5. Step 5:

   

   Blend everything into a smooth purée. It'll be very cold and thick, which makes it easy to spread onto the meat. To keep it cold, it's best to blend the berries at the very last minute, right before you spread them on.

6. Step 6:

   

   Set the meat in a baking dish. Rub it all over and inside the slits with the berry mixture.

7. Step 7:

   

   Tuck the onion half-rings into the slits in the pork. Drizzle the remaining vegetable oil over the top.

8. Step 8:

   

   Cover the dish with foil, making sure it doesn't touch the meat, or the berries and onion will stick to it. Put the pork neck into an oven preheated to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 1 hour. That's enough time for the pork to cook through inside.

9. Step 9:

   

   Then remove the foil and spoon the juices from the bottom of the dish over the pork. Return it to the oven and bake for about another 30 minutes at 350°F (180°C). The exact time depends on your oven. The top should turn golden brown.

10. Step 10:

    

    Transfer the finished roast to a platter, slice into portions, and serve. Enjoy!