Cheap and Delicious Meat Salad Made of Neck Bones or Pork Hocks

In this Instructable you will learn how to make a cheap, easy, and extremely delicious meal. The best thing about the Meat Salad is that it is filling and goes very well with other sides like, bread, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. It is also very cheap as it uses the cheaper cuts of a pig. Neck bone and pork hocks can be one sixth of the price of more expensive cuts, and (if you know what you are doing) can be easily cooked and just as good. Even so, because of the large bones, neck bones and pork hocks can be kind of messy to eat, but they taste all the better!

I hope you enjoy this easy and very delicious instructable!

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

The first thing to do is obviously to find all of the ingredients. This is a made-up recipe, so feel free to experiment, or change any ingredient listed here. Also, If you do not have an ingredient listed here, just put in a replacement of your own choice. Here is the list of things I used.

-one bag of Neck Bone cut of pork. (I've done this recipe with hocks too, just use more butter in the beginning. )

-At least 1 stick of butter

-Potatoes. (Do 1 for each person you are cooking for)

-Onions. (Take how many potatoes you have and divide by 2)

-Some Jack Daniels or other whiskey (these are optional)

-Spices. (I used seasoning salt and plain pepper but any could work.)

-Other (anything you want like bacon or mushrooms)

First you have to defrost the meat so the chunks aren't frozen together.Then, after assembling your ingredients, peel and cut the potatoes into circles and the onions into small chunks. While cutting the vegetables put the butter into the pan and begin melting it over the stove (stir it occasionally so it doesn't burn). After you are done you are ready to begin cooking.

Step 2: First Stage of Cooking

After the butter is melted in the pan, immediately throw the meat chunks into the pan on LOW heat. You can let the meat cook for a few minutes by its self, or (this is how we did it) you can throw the meat, onions, and potatoes in the pan all at once. That method is quicker, but is harder. If you do throw it all in at once just make sure the meat is almost always at the bottom of the pan (to cook faster).

After you throw the onions and potatoes in and you are cooking it all, you season it. You can season it to your preferences, but we seasoned the meat lightly on both sides. You can throw the liquor in at any point, but the later you put it in the stronger it effects the flavor.

Just remember, throughout the cooking process stir occasionally, but more importantly, keep PLENTY of butter in the pan. Butter is extremely important because it tastes good but also cooks the meat thoroughly. The key to safe, tasty, and moist meat is butter. After putting in most of the butter in the beginning, we also put in more butter on top of the meat while we were cooking it.

Take your time while cooking and keep the heat on low. If the heat is always on low, you assure that the meat will be thoroughly cooked through. So, sit back, and enjoy the amazing smells of a pan full of food is slowly cooked.

Step 3: Final Stage of Cooking

The hardest part of finishing up is knowing when to be done. You want to fully cook the meat, so you don't get salmonella, but you also don't want to overcook it and make it dry. The key to cooking your meat perfectly is recognizing the signs of well-done meat:

-The juices that run out of the meat are clear

-The meat has no red or pink parts in or outside (if unsure cut the meat to view the inside)

-The meat is tender and falls of the bone easier (although with this meat it is never super tender)

-There are no luke-warm or cold parts of the meat

-The meat is sizzling happily but not overly-powerfully

-The meat smells cooked but not burned

You don't need all of these signs to know if the meat is cooked just a few of them. As long as the meat was cooked over a long period of time in lots of butter, you are probably fine.

Once the meat is fully cooked and the potatoes are brown and mushy, you are done cooking.

Step 4: Serving

Congratulations! You are done cooking, but the best part is too come: eating!

This meal is very versatile and can be prepared in many ways. But our favorite way is to serve it with bread (to soak up the loose juices), lemonade (sweet and tasty), a grapefruit (slightly bitter to go with the sweet), and ice cream (to wrap up and cleanse the palate). But the best part is the cheaply made, easily cooked, and deliciously served meat salad.

So, sit back and enjoy your fantastic meal. Thanks for reading this Instructable!