Recipe for neck chops sous vide
My sous vide machine is my best friend in the kitchen. At least if we’re talking kitchen utensils.
But neck cutlets – can they go sous vide?
Yes, they definitely can, and below I’ll share my best tips for preparing a delicious neck cutlet using the sous vide method.
Neck Cutlet Cut
Neck cutlets are cut from the neck fillet. The neck fillet is the part located closest to the head. Next comes the loin (back), which extends all the way down to the ham.
The neck has a great fat marbling. This means there’s a lot of flavor to be gained from the meat.
At the same time, the neck contains a fair amount of actual meat. When the neck fillet is cut into cutlets, they become a wonderful combination of both lean meat and fat.
Neck Cutlets Sous Vide
Neck cutlets are often cooked either on a pan or grill – or as “the Danish family favorite”: Cutlets in a dish.
You’re probably one of many who’ve tried biting into a dry and tough cutlet, either from the pork loin or neck fillet. It can be a really dull experience!
On the other hand, a perfectly tender and juicy cutlet can almost make the angels sing.
Thanks to the fat marbling, neck cutlets are fortunately a bit more forgiving than cutlets from the loin. It can still be tricky though.
So, how do you ensure that the neck cutlets don’t turn out boring?
With sous vide, you have full control over temperature and cooking time. And these two factors, temperature and time, are the only ones you need to keep in mind.
Neck cutlets cooked sous vide become super juicy and tender!
Neck Cutlets Sous Vide Times and Temperatures
When cooking neck cutlets sous vide, nothing is left to chance.
The temperature depends on how well-done you prefer your pork.
It’s a misconception that pork absolutely has to be well-done. The harmful bacteria are located on the outside of the meat.
This means that as long as the meat’s surface is not broken, you can easily cook it to be pink.
This also means that minced meat MUST ALWAYS be well-cooked – whether it’s pork, beef, veal, or any other type.
The temperature range for neck cutlets in sous vide is 58 – 62 degrees Celsius.
If you like your neck cutlet a bit pink, you can go as low as 58 degrees Celsius for the water temperature.
The more well-done you prefer your neck cutlet, the closer to 62 degrees Celsius the temperature should be.
The cooking time, however, depends on the quality of your neck cutlet. The time range is between 2 – 4 hours in the water bath.
It matters whether you found the neck cutlets in the refrigerated section of a discount supermarket or bought them from a butcher.
If you found them vacuum-packed in a discount supermarket or as “last sale date”, you should opt for the higher end of the time range.
If, on the other hand, you bought the neck cutlets from your local butcher or a larger supermarket with its own butcher, you can opt for the lower end.
If you’re in doubt about the quality, it’s better to give them a longer sous vide time.
Additionally, the thickness of the meat also has an impact on the cooking time, but since cutlets typically range between 1½ – 2 centimeters in thickness, it’s not crucial to account for. My neck cutlets were 2 centimeters, if that matters – yes, I actually measured them!
Neck Cutlets Sous Vide Sear
The genius of sous vide is that the neck cutlet is cooked to have the same temperature from edge to edge.
This also means, however, that the meat does not have a sear. The sear not only makes the meat look more appealing and appetizing, it also provides a wonderful flavor.
Therefore, it’s necessary to sear the neck cutlets after they have been taken out of the water bath.
You can, for example, use your skillet, grill, or something else. The only important thing is that the method you choose can meet the main rule of HIGH heat for a SHORT time.
The meat is already fully cooked and basically ready to eat. Therefore, it just needs to “kiss” the pan or grill for a few seconds.
Neck Cutlets Side Dishes
Neck cutlets are a hit at any time of the year.
In the warmer months, I would serve them with a cold potato salad with parsley and chives and a good fresh salad on the side – oh, and grilled pointed cabbage!
In the cooler months, both rice, au gratin potatoes, sautéed potatoes, or Hasselback potatoes make a really lovely accompaniment to neck cutlets, and a homemade brown sauce or pan sauce is of course obligatory. A bit of greens would be nice too.
A dollop of pumpkin puree with the neck cutlets would certainly not be a bad idea either.
Neck Cutlets Sous Vide Recipe
Neck Chops Sous Vide
Equipment
- Sous Vide
Ingredients
- 2 pcs. Pork Chops neck chops à 150 grams
- Salt and Pepper from grinder
- Ghee or a 1:1 blend of oil and butter
- Flake Salt
Instructions
- Season the neck chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Vacuum pack the chops. Make sure they lie side by side with a slight gap between them. 1 millimeter of distance is enough; the most important thing is that they are not completely touching each other.
- Let them cook for 3 hours at 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Normally, I would give them 58 degrees Celsius (136 degrees Fahrenheit), but I actually cooked them together with something else that needed 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) - so the chops got prioritized. They still turned out incredibly juicy and tender! I also usually opt for a shorter cooking time since I normally only buy quality meat. This time, however, I visited a butcher I hadn't previously bought from. And again, if you are a bit unsure about the quality, it's better to add a little extra cooking time 🙂
- Take the neck chops out of the water bath when the time is up.
- Place the neck chops in the fat and let them brown for just 20 seconds on each side. Take the finished neck chops off the pan and sprinkle with flake salt. They do not need to rest and are ready to serve immediately.
- Enjoy your meal.