Smoked Turkey Neck and Lentil Stew

I’ve been writing my blog for about 2 1/2 years now, I do all the things I’m supposed to. Search engine optimization, so google can find me. A newsletter to build readership. There are quite a few pieces to the puzzle, however, everything comes down to content. Is this recipe what people want? are they interested in it? does it engage them? Well, sometimes yes, and sometimes no. This recipe is not going to turn me into an internet star. However, it is delicious, healthy, and, there are people, like me, who happen to like turkey necks. So, give my smoked turkey neck and lentil stew a fair shake.

This recipe could be considered peasant food. For those that don’t know what this means, well, it’s the cheaper or not so popular cuts of meat, cooked up with vegetables and rice or beans. Usually served as a stew or soup. I have a few examples; Lucky Hoppin’ Johns stew, a stew of sausage and rice cooked in ham hock stock. It has a long history dating back to the times of slavery, and is now considered a lucky meal on New Years. Slow cooker pork shoulder, this is a cheaper cut of meat that requires a long slow lengthy cook. Perfect for the slow cooker, and absolutely delicious when done. Most peasant food requires a long slow cook for the meat to become tender and the flavors to develop. I feel that a slow cooker is an essential tool in the kitchen

Being ever budget conscious, I noticed smoked turkey neck on sale one week. Now I’m a fan of pretty much anything smoked, it has a certain flavor. I love split pea and ham, so why not smoked turkey necks. And that’s how this whole ting started. Turns out, I didn’t have any split peas in the closet, however, I always have lentils. Because I’m a believer in always using what you have in the closet before you run to buy something else, and I love lentils, so, lentils it is.

This will be a stew, and all stews start with a savory base, and, that means a mirepoix. In the classic style, onions, celery and carrots. To that, chopped garlic and frozen mixed vegetables. I like to use them because frozen is as good as fresh, and they bring color to the stew. Put all those in the slow cooker raw. Now lay 4 smoked turkey necks on top. The seasoning is next, but, the necks bring a lot of flavor to the dish, so, it has to be simple.

Now cover with the rinsed lentils, I used green, so it looked like green peas. Always rinse lentils before using, they were processed in a factory before packaging, read my post on safe cooking practices. Also, check for and small hard objects like stones, it’s rare, but, they were harvested from the fields, all kinds of stuff gets caught up with them. Finally, cover with approximately 4 cups of stock, or enough to cover plus about 1/2 inch liquid for the lentils to absorb. Set the slow cooker to low, and, walk away for about 8 hrs.

When you come back, the house has that aroma that only the slow cooker can make. So remove the lid, turn off the cooker, and allow everything to cool for at least 10 mins. Serve in bowls, garnish with something green, and, enjoy the stew. thank you for reading