A braised beef neck bones recipe featuring a most humble cut of meat turned into the ultimate over the top tender beef sandwich.
Neck bones are a thing if you didn't know. Whether we're talking about turkey necks, pork necks, or beef neck bones in this case, it's all good!
This is usually the second recipe of a 2 for 1 dish. When I make large meat dishes cooked low and slow via braise or smoke, you can count on a sandwich recipe to follow, especially if we're talking pork or beef.
This recipe is a riff on a beef short rib sandwich I typically make when I have leftover beef short ribs. I make a beer sauce, caramelize some onions, and add melted fontina cheese then top the short ribs and serve on buns.
MOOD MUSIC
The first time I made this recipe I had just listened to MonoNeon's then-new album "A Place Called Fantasy." It was so dope and funky it made me go buy a bunch of neck bones in all seriousness. Now every time I listen to this album I have neck bone cravings. Such was the case when I recently made this beef neck bones sandwich.
What are beef neck bones?
I describe neck bones as a poor man's or hood beef short ribs. They're just as tender but less fatty than short ribs and even its cousin oxtails. As much as I love neck bones, I hope they kinda remain a best-kept secret and not go the way of oxtails.
Next thing you know, neck bones will be appropriated like them and we'll be paying $20 a pound. Cheap, tasty, and versatile; so what's not to like about the underrated beef neck bones? If you're interested in oxtails check out my detailed braised oxtails post.
Neck Bones Sandwich Ingredients
- Beef Neck Bones
- Hamburger Buns
- Fontina cheese
- Yellow onion
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Lager style beer
- Soy Sauce (low sodium)
- Maple syrup
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
BEEF NECK BONES COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Cook beef neck bones
Neck bones are best cooked via a traditional braising approach. Check-out my beef neck bones recipe pictured below for more detailed instructions. Slow and low cooking is perfect for breaking down an otherwise tough cut of meat.
A wine-based braising liquid along with caramelized vegetables like onions, celery, and carrots help provide an unmatched depth of flavor. And even better, the results leave behind a killer gravy that is mucho sop worthy; just be sure to have some good crusty bread on hand for steady soppin!
Once you've braised the neck bones you start assembling the sandwich in a few easy steps including caramelizing the onions and making the beer sauce.
Caramelize The Onions
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Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Heat the pan on medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally.
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Depending on how strong your stovetop burner is you may need to reduce the heat to medium-low to prevent the onions from burning or drying out.
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After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. If they start to dry, add a little water and stir.
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Let cook for 30 minutes to an hour more, stirring every few minutes. As soon as the onions start sticking to the pan, let them stick a little and brown, but then stir them before they burn.
Make the Beer Sauce
Combine beer sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add mixture to a saucepan; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook about 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by ½ to almost a syrup consistency.
COOKING CONSIDERATIONS
Other cuts of beef can be used as a substitute to neck bones. Meat from beef shank, beef short ribs, pot roast, and beef oxtails all are perfectly good alternatives.
Fontina is a great cheese, but there are other options worth considering. I'm partial to white cheeses like Brie, but a good Monterrey Jack would be a good fit as well.
For beer considerations, I prefer the color and taste profile of a good lager. Red Stripe is my lager of choice in this recipe, but feel free to choose your preferred.
This can also be made using pork neck bones or beef oxtail.
Serve with a cup of black-eyed pea soup or soul food sides like potato salad or collard greens.
MORE SANDWICH RECIPES
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Ingredients
Beef Neck Bones
- 2 pounds Beef Neck bones cooked
- Sliced Fontina or Brie Cheese
- 2 hamburger buns
Caramelized Onions
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ tablespoon Salt
- Sugar optional
Beer Sauce
- ¼ cup red stripe or other lager style beer
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Heat the pan on medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally.
- Depending on how strong your stovetop burner is you may need to reduce the heat to medium low to prevent the onions from burning or drying out.
- After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. If they start to dry, add a little water and stir.
- Let cook for 30 minutes to an hour more, stirring every few minutes. As soon as the onions start sticking to the pan, let them stick a little and brown, but then stir them before they burn.
Beer Sauce
- Combine beer sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add mixture to a sauce pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by ½.
Assemble the Sandwich
- Top bottom bun with chopped neck bones, onions, and slices of cheese.Broil in oven at high settings to melt the cheese for five minutes.Top with sauce and top bun.
Video
Notes
- Sear the neck bones first as you would any other braised meat recipe
- Use a braising liquid that is somewhat acidic and make sure you have adequate liquid to submerge the neck bones
- Make sure your pot has a heavy lid. If it doesn't, then top the pot with parchment paper first and then cover with lid during cooking
- Cook them low and slow (275-325 degrees in the oven)
Simas
Saturday 7th of November 2020
Wow. Came across this recipe randomly. Did that today and we were amazed! My favourite sandwich of all times. Will follow you!
Marwin Brown
Sunday 8th of November 2020
Thanks for the follow and glad you found the site! Cheers
MJ
Monday 15th of July 2019
So, I probably won’t do the sandwich recipe (this time), but I’ll be using your method for braising, but with my own ingredients. I’m excited-I already know I can’t go wrong with these & think my fam will fall in love. This is my first time even eating beef bones, let alone cooking them. I just wanted to drop some love on your post - so many people post these AMAZING recipes online - but their posts are all this lame country housewife nonsense. Its so refreshing to get a good music recommendation along with a recipe & not have to skip straight thru an annoying post. Thanks for keeping things interesting! I grabbed up some beef neck bones at the store yesterday for $1.75, thinking, “My dog would love these”. But then I looked a little closer & realized I had struck gold! So I googled a few recipes - The old man & my teenage boys GET DOWN HARD on any sort of meat with a bone - the more cartilage, the better in our house! (And the Dog still gets the bones when we’re done with them, so it’s a win-win!). The ones I found don’t look like the ones you’ve pictured here - they don’t have the meat around them, and the bones are round - about 2-3 inches wide, with lots of good stuff in the center. So, I hope we’re still talking about the same thing. I did snag some additional cuts of stew meat to add in with them, to add another dimension of texture. Thanks for the great ideas!!
Marwin Brown
Monday 15th of July 2019
Luv luv luv your comments. You are absolutely right, it’s definitely a win-win for the dog and the fellas. Neck-bones mostly depend on how they’re cut, I.e. some cut deep and leave more bone than meat or vice versa. The meatier the better! If your bones are more round, then you may have beef shanks. If so, don’t worry it’s the same method of cooking, just slightly fewer bones. What ever you do make sure you give the meat a good browning before starting your braise. Also save a few bones for making your own beef broth. You can always freeze the broth until you need it.