Smoked or raw neck bones simmered for hours until the broth is rich, potatoes added in the last hour. The bones give the flavor.
Neck bones and potatoes is a dish of necessity that became preference. Black families bought neck bones because they were cheap. They made this dish because the long simmer returned extraordinary flavor from an inexpensive cut. The preference for neck bones over fancier cuts in this preparation is not a concession — it is correct. No other cut produces the same broth.
Neck bones are dense with connective tissue and bone marrow — the long simmer extracts collagen, glycine, and minerals into the broth in concentrations that exceed premium bone broths. The potatoes absorb the fat-rich, mineral-rich broth as they cook, becoming the most nutritionally loaded component of the dish. This is bone-broth therapy organized around a plate of food.
Smoked neck bones go in raw with no pre-sear needed. Raw pork neck bones benefit from a brief browning first. Cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, skim the foam in the first 20 minutes. Low simmer 2-3 hours until the meat begins to pull from the bone. Add potato chunks in the last hour — they should be almost falling apart, fully saturated with the broth.
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