Pork neck, beer, honey, chili sauce, and fresh herbs create juicy meat with a rich, thick, and glossy sauce. Carrots, peppers, garlic, and tomato paste form a hearty base that develops a deep flavor during slow roasting.
This easy recipe requires about 20 minutes of prep and then around 90–120 minutes of roasting, depending on how tender you want the meat. First, roast covered at 170°C, then increase the temperature to 200°C and let the sauce reduce at the end.
What You’ll Need
For the pork neck and sauce:
- pork neck, cut into larger cubes,
- lard for frying,
- carrot, sliced into rounds,
- white pepper, sliced into strips,
- tomato paste,
- 1 tablespoon honey,
- garlic, sliced,
- spring onion, white part,
- sweet chili sauce,
- oyster sauce or soy sauce,
- fresh marjoram,
- fresh rosemary,
- fresh thyme,
- 200 ml light lager or semi-dark beer,
- water for basting,
- salt,
- freshly ground pepper.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the meat and vegetables: Cut the pork neck into larger cubes, season with salt and pepper. Slice the carrot into rounds, the white pepper into strips, the garlic into slices, and separate the white part of the spring onion.
2. Sautéing the vegetables: Heat the lard in a roasting pan or deep skillet. Add the carrot rounds and white pepper strips, and sauté together until fragrant to form the base of the sauce.
3. Searing the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of honey to the vegetables. Sauté thoroughly and wait until the paste slightly browns. This step gives the finished sauce a deeper color and fuller flavor.
4. Adding garlic and onion: Add the garlic slices and the white part of the spring onion to the base. Sauté briefly, just until fragrant, so the garlic doesn’t burn and turn bitter.
5. Seasoning the sauce: Add the sweet chili sauce and oyster sauce (or substitute with soy sauce). Add the fresh marjoram, rosemary, and thyme, and briefly combine all the flavors.
6. Adding liquid: Place the seasoned pork neck cubes into the prepared base. Pour in about 200 ml of beer and add enough water so the meat is submerged about halfway.
7. Slow roasting: Cover the roasting pan with a lid or foil and place in an oven preheated to 170°C. Roast until tender, usually about an hour to an hour and a half. The total roasting time is about 90–120 minutes, depending on the tenderness of the meat.
8. Reducing the sauce: Once the pork neck is tender, remove the lid or foil and increase the temperature to 200°C. Let the sauce bubble and reduce for another 10–15 minutes until thick and glossy.
9. Serving: Pour the reduced sauce over the tender pork neck and serve with roasted potatoes and zucchini. Serve a garlic dip on the side to balance the rich flavor of the meat with its freshness.
Which Beer to Use for the Sauce
A light lager will give the sauce a mildly bitter taste, while a semi-dark or dark beer will bring a deeper color, sweeter character, and caramel notes. Avoid heavily hopped beers like IPAs, as the sauce could become overly bitter after reducing.
How to Substitute Oyster Sauce
If you don’t have oyster sauce, use regular soy sauce instead. If you want to keep a thicker texture, you can add a pinch of cornstarch to the soy sauce. Oyster sauce otherwise gives the base an interesting consistency and a subtle Asian touch.
How to Adapt the Recipe for Other Meats
You can also use pork shoulder instead of pork neck. However, it will need a bit more cooking time, about 2 hours. Pork neck is ideal for slow roasting thanks to its marbling, which helps keep the meat juicy and tender.
