Home Cooking Guide: How Do You Cook Turkey Necks

Though often overlooked, turkey necks can become a delicious dish when cooked properly. Let's explore how to unlock their culinary potential.

How do you cook a turkey neck?

Don't skip the pre-treatment

Soak the turkey neck in cold water for 1 hour to remove the blood. Cut off any excess fat or trachea on the surface. When blanching, add two slices of ginger and half a spoon of white vinegar. Boil in water for 3 minutes and then take it out to thoroughly remove the fishy smell.

Two recommended cooking methods

For thick soup base: Add the blanched turkey neck with onion chunks, carrots, and bay leaves. Pour in cold water to cover the ingredients by about two fingers' height. Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. After the soup turns milky white, strain it out. It will be very fragrant when used for cooking noodles or stewing dishes.

Sauce-braised flavor: Heat cold oil in a hot pan and sauté garlic slices until fragrant. Put the turkey neck in and fry until slightly yellow. Add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rock sugar. Pour in beer to cover the meat. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. Finally, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Key heat control

It is easier to stew thoroughly in a cast-iron pot or a casserole. Keep it at a gentle simmer for the first 30 minutes (small bubbles occasionally appear on the water surface). Then turn off the heat and let it stand covered for 15 minutes before opening the lid. The bones will automatically separate from the meat. Make sure you can easily pierce the cartilage part with a chopstick.

If you're short on time, use a pressure cooker. After it builds up pressure, cook for 20 minutes. Season the dish after natural pressure release. After stewing, the collagens in the turkey neck will dissolve in the soup. It will be even more delicious when refrigerated and turns into a jelly.

How to clean turkey necks before cooking?

Step 1: Check for residues

After taking the turkey necks out of the package, hold both ends of the neck and gently stretch it. Use tweezers to pull out any remaining fine feather roots, paying special attention to the black blood clots in the creases of the joints.

Step 2: Rinse under running water

Use your fingers to spread open the skin and rub it repeatedly under cold water for 3 minutes. Focus on rinsing the inner mucous membrane and the bone crevices until the water runs clear.

Step 3: Soak in salt water

Add 15 grams of salt and 10 milliliters of white vinegar to one liter of cold water and soak the turkey necks for 30 minutes. Gray foam will float on the water surface as the blood seeps out. Pour out the dirty water and rinse twice with clean water.

Step 4: Trim the lymph nodes and fat

Use kitchen scissors to cut open the skin and remove the yellow fat chunks and grayish-white lymphatic tissues the size of soybeans (usually distributed near the trachea).

Step 5: Wash again

Sprinkle a spoonful of flour on the surface and rub it to adsorb any remaining impurities. Rinse it clean under running water and then you can proceed to the blanching step. If you don't need to use it immediately, pat it dry with kitchen paper and store it in the refrigerator.

Key reminders

Never rinse with hot water as it will cause the pores to contract and trap the blood.

Keep the cutting boards for raw and cooked food separate. Immediately scald the scissors and tweezers with boiling water after handling.

Adding ginger slices and Chinese prickly ash during blanching is more effective in removing the fishy smell than cooking wine.

How long should you cook turkey necks?

Pressure cooker

After thawing: Pressure-cook for 35 - 40 minutes after the pressure builds up.

Frozen directly: Pressure-cook for 55 minutes after the pressure builds up plus 10 minutes for natural pressure release.

Ordinary soup pot

After thawing: Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Frozen with bones: First, bring to a boil over high heat for 30 minutes, and then simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

Slow baking in the oven

Preheat to 160°C. Wrap the marinated neck with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.

Unwrap the aluminum foil in the last 15 minutes for coloring.

Can I boil frozen turkey necks?

You can boil frozen turkey necks, but you must adjust the method. The core principle is to extend the cooking time and thoroughly check the doneness. There are two scenarios to handle:

Recommended approach (boiling after thawing)

Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and change the water twice in the middle.

Trim off any excess fat and lymphatic tissues.

Put it in cold water, add ginger slices and cooking wine to blanch and remove the fishy smell.

Emergency treatment (boiling the frozen product directly)

Use a serrated knife to make deep incisions on the surface to help with heat transfer.

Increase the amount of water by 50%. After it boils, turn to medium-low heat.

Cook for 40 minutes longer than the regular time (total cooking time is about 2 hours).

Use a thermometer to measure the thickest joint area to ensure it reaches 74°C.

Can you cook turkey necks in a slow cooker?

Sure you can.

This is how I do it:

1.Soak in cold water for 1 hour to remove the blood, and cut off any visible lymph nodes.

2.Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes and add 2 slices of ginger to remove the fishy smell.

3.Use a toothpick to make small holes in the thick parts of the meat to help the flavors penetrate.

Reference for time and temperature:

• Low setting: 7 - 8 hours

• High setting: 4 - 5 hours

• Use 1 cup of liquid (beer or chicken broth is recommended) for every 450 grams of meat.

Stacking skills:

Lay shredded onions at the bottom, place the turkey necks in the middle, and cover with carrot chunks on the top. This way, the steam can circulate more effectively, preventing the bottom from getting too mushy and the top from being undercooked.

How do you make turkey necks tender and not tough?

Pre-treatment stage

Add 1 spoon of white vinegar and salt during soaking, and soak for 1 hour. Before blanching, use the back of a knife to break the fascia at the joint. A slight cracking sound can be heard.

Conversion stage

Add acidic substances during stewing (choose one from dried hawthorn, ketchup, and lemon juice). The acidic environment can effectively break down the meat fibers. Keep simmering over low heat, with the temperature controlled between 85 - 95 °C.

Temperature control stage

• Pressure cooker: Pressure-cook for 40 minutes after the pressure builds up

• Slow cooker: Simmer on the low setting for 8 hours

• Ordinary pot: Use the lowest heat and cover the pot. Place a wet towel along the edge of the pot to prevent steam from escaping

Remedial measures

When you notice the meat becoming tough, turn off the heat immediately, add 2 spoons of milk, let it stand for 15 minutes, and then simmer over low heat for half an hour. Shred the overcooked meat, mix it with sesame oil and starch, and steam for 10 minutes to make it tender again.

Key points to avoid mistakes

Use hot water throughout the process. Cold water will cause the meat to contract.

Add salt for seasoning 20 minutes before taking it off the heat.

The amount of liquid should cover the ingredients by at least 3 centimeters.