Fresh Neck of Pork à la Choucroûte

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Shallow roasting pan fitted with a rack
• •3-litre covered casserole or braising pan
• •Instant-read or probe thermometer
• •Large warm oval serving platter
• •Fine-mesh sieve or colander

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the joint

   Take the pork from the refrigerator 45 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) with a rack in the upper-middle position. Pat the joint completely dry, then season every surface with the salt and pepper. Set it fat-side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Add no oil: the neck carries the fat needed for both its crust and the cabbage.

   Fresh neck means uncured pork collar or échine, not a lean loin roast. Ask the butcher to leave the fat cap intact and tie the joint into an even cylinder so its centre cooks predictably.
2. 2

   Start the roast

   Roast at 230°C (450°F) for 20 minutes, until the fat begins to render and the upper surface takes a firm bronze colour. Reduce the oven to 165°C (325°F) and continue roasting for 45 to 70 minutes, checking early, until a thermometer inserted sideways into the thickest part reads 65 to 68°C (149 to 154°F). If the drippings begin turning black, pour 2 tablespoons of water around the rack, never over the meat, and scrape the darkening film loose. Ça se rattrape: you want browned juices and clear fat, not a scorched pan.

3. 3

   Join the choucroûte

   Set the 6 cups (1.5 L / 1.2 kg) of Sauerkraut (Choucroûte) (No. 2097), prepared according to its own entry through all but the final hour, in a covered 3-litre casserole. If it was made ahead and chilled, warm it gently on the stove until the liquid bubbles at the edges; cold cabbage would steal heat from the oven. Once the pork reaches 65 to 68°C (149 to 154°F), lower the oven to 140°C (285°F), place the covered casserole beside or beneath the roasting pan, and begin the gentle final hour.

4. 4

   Baste and finish

   Every 15 minutes, tilt the roasting pan and spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the clear rendered neck fat over the cabbage, then lift and turn it gently so the fat travels through rather than sitting on top. Keep both vessels in the low oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the pork reaches 78 to 80°C (172 to 176°F) at its centre. If the temperature stalls below 75°C (167°F), raise the oven to 165°C (325°F) for 10 minutes and check again. If it climbs too quickly, lower the oven to 110°C (230°F) and complete the hour gently. Thoroughly cooked does not mean blasted dry.

   Colour cannot judge doneness inside a thick neck joint. Insert the thermometer from the side so its tip reaches the true centre without touching the roasting rack.
5. 5

   Drain and rest

   Transfer the pork to a warm board, cover it loosely with foil, and rest it for 20 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and inspect the cabbage. Spoon away any obvious surface fat; if it feels greasy throughout, drain it in a sieve for a minute, return it to the casserole, and fold in only enough of its own braising liquor to leave it moist and glossy. This is the source instruction to clear away superfluous fat, and it matters after repeated basting.

6. 6

   Carve and serve

   Remove the strings and set the whole neck in the centre of a warmed oval platter. Arrange the choucroûte around it in generous spoonfuls, pressing each mound lightly so it holds against the roast without becoming compacted. Carve the pork across the grain into slices about 1 cm (⅜ inch) thick, serving each person both the bronzed outer meat and the tender centre. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Pork neck may be sold as collar, neck fillet, or échine. It should be well marbled and capped with fat. If only a bone-in piece is available, buy about 3¾ pounds (1.7 kg) and follow the thermometer rather than adding a fixed amount of time.
• •Prepare Sauerkraut (Choucroûte) (No. 2097) as its own complete formula. Its consommé, bacon, vegetables, bouquet, juniper, and long braise belong to that entry; repeating a shortened version here would change the preparation the book actually calls for.
• •Use only the rendered neck fat for basting. That exchange between roast and cabbage is the point of the dish. If little fat has collected at the first check, wait another 10 minutes rather than supplying an unrelated cooking fat.
• •Serve a dry Alsace Riesling or Sylvaner. Their acidity meets the fermented cabbage and pork fat cleanly without making the platter taste sweeter than it is.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare Sauerkraut (Choucroûte) (No. 2097) through all but its final hour up to two days ahead. Cool it promptly, cover, and refrigerate; warm it to bubbling at the edges before coordinating that last hour with the pork.
• •The butcher can tie the neck a day ahead. Keep it uncovered on a tray in the refrigerator so its surface dries, then season it just before roasting.
• •Leftovers keep for three days when chilled promptly. Reheat the sliced pork covered at 150°C (300°F) with the cabbage beneath it, stopping as soon as the centre is hot so the meat does not dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 560g)