Sunday, January 29, 2012

On the Frugal Beauty of Pork Neck Bones and Rice, Straight from the Delta

I bought a pack of pork-neck bones at my local HMart, a Korean-American supermarket chain where I frequently shop. I liked the price - $1.29 - a pound, but hadn't a clue what to do with them. So the package sat in my freezer for a few weeks.

Yesterday I found a fabulous recipe on a site called "Junior's Juke Joint." The writer, a cultural anthropologist says the recipe comes from Carolina Henderson, the cook and old blues song expert at ZZ's Blues Joint in Ferriday, Louisiana.Thank you, Carolina, for what turned into a frugal feast for Saturday night for my familiy of four.

Here's the link to the recipe. I didn't have green onions; instead I sliced two large white onions from the pantry, I added a cup of shirakiku sweet brown rice (I'd bought the 10-pound bag for $15 on an earler trip to HMart.) And we had all the spices and oils handy. Voila! Sumptuous meal for four. My estimate on how much this dinner cost?
$3 at most. That's 75 cents a person!

Next time, we will play a little BBKing to add to the ambiance!

5 comments:

  1. If there's one thing Louisiana does well, it's food! I enjoyed reading the recipe and accompanying commentary as much as your post. Maybe we need to try some neckbones here!

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  2. @Karen: Isn't that a fun site?! Let me know if you cook these and how they work out.

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  3. You are brave. I can't imagine choosing pork neck bones at the store, no matter how cheap! What a steal of a deal on dinner, though! :)

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    1. Sarah: I have gotten bolder in my middle age. I figure that if they're selling 'em someone is eating 'em. It is a cultural thing - apparently Koreans eat pork neck bones, and Louisianians too so hey - let's give it a shot. There are some things I haven't bought there, like the pigs feet etc. But to each his own...: )

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  4. Did you put tabasco on it? I bet it's good with tabasco.

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