We became intrigued by the idea of Braised Turkey Necks after spotting a package of necks at our local butcher shop. Completely forgetting the original purpose of our visit, we grabbed it and quickly ran home with them, eager to give our exciting new find a try.
We discovered Braised Turkey Necks are much more flavorful and meatier than we expected. And with a simple buckwheat side dish to go with it, it made for an easy, fun (and filling) meal. Little did we know, this unusual new recipe would become a delightful addition to our rotating dinner menu. So let’s get started with the braised turkey neck recipe, and we hope you have as much fun with it as we did.
Braised Turkey Necks Recipe (serves 2):
PREP TIME: About 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 2 hours
Note: See the Buckwheat Side Dish Recipe below, be ready to cook it about 20-25 minutes before the braised turkey necks are done and ready to be served.
Ingredients:
2 skinless Turkey Necks
1 large Carrot, shredded
½ of Onion, chopped
1 cup of Chicken Broth
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil and Butter – 2 tablespoons of each
Instructions:
1. Wash and cut each turkey neck into 2-3 pieces (~ 3 inches a piece), and pat dry.
2. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add half of the olive oil and butter (1 tbl. spoon each). Add turkey necks to a hot skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let the turkey necks brown for about 4 minutes, turning them halfway.
3. Remove the turkey necks and place them in a large cast iron pot.
4. Clean the skillet, preheat to medium, and add the second half of olive oil and butter.
5. First, sauté chopped onions for 2 minutes, then add shredded carrots, salt and pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes – stirring frequently until lightly browned.
6. Transfer the onion-carrot mixture to the turkey necks in the large cast iron pot.
7. Add chicken broth, and the bay leaves, and bring to a light boil.
8. Cover the pot with the lid, reduce heat to low, just to a slow simmer, and leave it for 1.5 hours, stirring once or twice, until most of the broth cooks away and the turkey necks meat is so soft it’s almost falling off the bone.
9. Ta-Da! Serve the braised turkey necks right away, garnished with some greens, with your favorite side dish. Ours is buckwheat. See the recipe for it below.
Simple Buckwheat Side Dish
Did you know that buckwheat has absolutely nothing to do with wheat? Actually, it’s not even a grain! It’s a seed. Super popular in Eastern Europe, Korea, and Japan (your favorite soba noodles are made from buckwheat), it’s not that well-known in the US. We get buckwheat in our local specialty European stores, large online retailers carry it too. But check your regular store, they may have buckwheat as well.
The slightly nutty flavor is delicious, and it can be served as a savory side dish, breakfast (with milk and sugar or honey), or even used in place of rice for some main courses. Naturally gluten-free, buckwheat is considered one of the Superfoods. There are so many nutritious benefits to buckwheat — it’s perplexing not to see it on supermarket shelves more often.
Ingredients:
1 cup of buckwheat
3 cups of water
Salt
Instructions are usually on the package. If not, here is how you make it:
- Add the buckwheat and water to a saucepan, and set the heat to medium.
- Bring to a boil.
- Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, give it a quick stir, and let it simmer uncovered for 13-15 minutes.
- Fluff with the fork, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!!
For more delicious recipes, check out our Chorizo Al Vino, Barnyard Cutlets, or Crab Bisque recipes to start with. There are quite a few of the recipes to try at home in our blog’s Fun Projects section, browse them all and find a favorite!
Have you ever tried turkey necks before? What about buckwheat? Please comment below and subscribe to our blog!
