Brown Stewed Turkey Necks

Everyone knows oxtail is expensive. I get it. Since when did we go from enjoying oxtail regularly to it now being considered a high class delicacy? It seems as though the price has steadily increased over the years with no end in sight. Turkey necks have always been my affordable alternative to oxtail. Let’s face it, nothing comes close to replacing the goodness of oxtail but turkey necks sure do come close!

A quick comparison of the price: oxtail ranges from 8.99/lb to 10.99/lb and in some places, I’ve seen it as high as 13.99/lb! 5 lbs can easily run you close to $40 or $50 and eat up a huge chunk of your budget for groceries. For that reason, I’ve started opting for turkey necks as a viable alternative. By comparison, turkey necks are typically 1.99-2.99/lb and a 5 lb bag of turkey necks can cost you around $8-$10. Stark contrast huh? Yep. That’s exactly what I thought!

I’m going to show you exactly how to braise some delicious turkey necks and save yourself money at the same time. We all know money saved instantly adds a certain type of flavor! Now, turkey meat can be very dense so our goal is braise the turkey neck first in caramelized brown sugar, and then stew it in a delicious gravy with fresh seasonings. No browning sauce needed!

You’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs Turkey Neck
• 2 tbsp Green Seasoning (See video below)
• 1 tsp All Purpose Seasoning
• 1 tsp Meat Seasoning (I use Jamaican Choice brand)
• 1 tsp Chicken/Poultry Seasoning
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar (Turbinado)
• 1/2 Green Pepper, diced
• 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
• 2 Carrots (sliced diagonally)
• Few Sprigs of Thyme
• 6 Cloves of Garlic
• Optional: 1 can of Butter Beans (liquid drained)
• 4 tbsp of Canola Oil
• 2 1/2 cups of Water

Directions:

You’ll need a large pot to cook this meal. Preferably a wide one or one that’s large enough to accomodate 5 lbs of turkey neck. A wide, 4 qt pot will do the trick. See my Amazon store https://www.amazon.com/shop/thatnursecancook for some of my recommendations. Rinse and pat your turkey necks dry. Add the green seasoning, and all dry ingredients except for your thyme, green & red peppers, carrots, and garlic. Those will stay to the side. Massage the turkey necks until ingredients are well distributed. Turn your flame to medium. Warm the pot for 3 minutes and add your oil. Let your oil warm for another 3 minutes and now add your brown sugar. Here is the tricky part: your sugar will start to melt; carefully monitor your brown sugar. You may need to stir it every so often. The edges of your brown sugar will begin to turn an orange color, then it will slowly begin to bubble. As soon as bubbling or the presence of foam occurs, add your seasoned turkey necks. If your brown sugar burns or turns black, it will make your dish bitter! Use a large spoon to evenly distribute the carmelized brown sugar onto all of the turkey necks. Cover your pot and allow it to braise for 30 minutes on low medium heat. Do not allow the liquid that forms to completely dry out. When the sugar now has a liquid consistency and there is a small amount of liquid in the pot, add your thyme, garlic cloves, green & red pepper, carrots, and water. Stir. Cover and cook for 1 hour on low medium heat. If adding butter beans, add the beans (liquid drained) and cook another 15-20 minutes. If you’d like the turkey necks very tender and fall off bone soft, cook them for 2 hours on a low heat. Enjoy!

Check out the video on how to make green seasoning: