Elk Neck Stout

And just like that, my love for the underappreciated neck roast took firm hold of my soul, and to this day it is one of my favorite cuts.

 Fast forward to present day.  Yes, sometimes I do grind the neck roast, especially when the  grind meat in the freezer is low.  But there really isn’t much better than a neck roast braised for hours on end.  Scoop the deliciously tender meat and gravy into a shallow bowl with carrots and potatoes and you, quite literally, have a meal fit for a Viking!

 Ingredients:

• 2 sweet onions
• Bacon grease
• 3 Carrots
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2-4 lbs neck roast
• Salt
• Pepper
• Molasses
• 1 cup Beef stock
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• Fingerling Potatoes (to your liking)
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 5 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can of Irish stout (not the sweet kind, Guinness works perfectly here)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325
2. Liberally coat neck roast in salt and pepper and brown (when I say brown, I mean really brown) the neck roast in 2 TBS of bacon grease in a braising pot
3. Remove the neck roast and add 1 TBS of bacon grease and reduce heat to very low.
4. Add chopped onion to pot and begin to caramelize the onion.
   1. The caramelization process is a slow one. Do this under low heat and let it happen slowly.  Once the onions become translucent add ¼ cup of water to remove the starch built up on the onion and let the water boil off.  This builds depth and flavor.
   2. Add 1 diced carrot to the caramelized onions and let sweat till carrots become soft (8-12 minutes).
5. Add 5 cloves of diced garlic and let cook for about 2 minutes or until garlic becomes fragrant (the heat is still LOW).
6. Make a space in the center of the pot and add 2 TBS of tomato paste. Let this toast for a few minutes before stirring with the fragrant vegetables
7. Add 1 can of stout beer and increase heat to medium/low. 
8. Add thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Let liquid come to a low boil cooking off the alcohol.
9. Add 1 cup of beef stock.
10. Add can of diced tomatoes.
11. Bring liquid to a slow simmer.
12. Return browned neck roast to pot. Adjust beef stock so the liquid is just covering the top of the meat.
13. Place parchment paper over top of the solution so that it is touching prior to putting lid on (this will keep too much liquid from evaporating).
    1. Feel free to add crumbled parchment paper or tin foil to take up space below lid.
14. Place lid on pot and place in a 325-degree oven for 4-5 hours.
15. Remove pot from oven and add 1-inch pieces of chopped carrot and cut fingerling potatoes (amount is up to you).
16. Replace parchment paper and place back in oven for 1-1.5 hours.
17. Remove from oven and serve in a shallow dish. Making sure to add the gravy to the cut meat.

This wonderful dish was provided by Mike Edgehouse of Got Game Technologies and the Cutrite App. The CutRite mobile app (@cutritemobile) empowers hunters through experiential education to achieve self-reliance and
appreciation for the game and process from shot to the table. Recognizing there are many
avenues to learn how to hunt, there were few avenues to learn what to do so after the kill. THIS IS CUTRITE MOBILE. Combining education, communication, patience, our goal is to develop new and experienced hunters to be self-reliant once their animal is harvested. Empowering hunters through education from the field to the table. Be sure to check it out!