Smokey neck bone spaghetti with San Marzano tomatoes

This is one of those recipes where you have to do something the day before. You see, on Saturday I went to the store to get something for the grill. I picked up a pork roast and on the spur of the moment, I bought some pork neck bones, which are good for spaghetti sauce.

I lit the grill for the pork roast, and I decided to roast the pork neck bones on the smokey charcoal grill as well. That night we had pork roast, with a smokey gravy over boiled potatoes with a side of wilted cucumbers and onions. 

The next afternoon I pulled out those charcoal roasted neck bones and made this spaghetti sauce. I ended up making two meals out of one batch of charcoal. 

2 lb. pork neck bones

Cajun seasoning

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. thyme

1tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. basil

2 cups red wine

2 cups chicken broth

2 28 oz. cans of San Marzano tomatoes

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste

1-½ lb. of spaghetti

Preparation

The day before you make the spaghetti sauce, season the neck bones heavily, with cajun seasoning, on all sides. Roast them over indirect heat in a covered charcoal grill. Add a few pieces of hardwood to add a little extra smoke. Let them roast for a couple of hours. Cool them, and save them in a zipper bag for tomorrow.

The next day, heat a large heavy bottomed pot. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the smokey neck bones and stir. Add the onions and let them cook for about ten minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, thyme, marjoram and basil and stir. Let that cook for another couple of minutes. Add the wine and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let that simmer for an hour or more, stirring often.

Add the San Marzano tomatoes and break them up with a knife and fork. Stir and let that simmer for another half hour. Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring until it is well mixed in. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, while you put spaghetti water on to boil. Stir the sauce often. Cook and drain the spaghetti and serve.

Serving

Serve large mounds of spaghetti, covered in the sauce. Now most of the neck bone meat will have fallen off the bone by now, but there will be some still attached to the bone, so pile on the neck bones too. Cover it all with tons of fresh grated parmesan cheese. Add in a large salad, some homemade bread, and open a bottle of Montepulciano DʼAbruzzo. Dinner is served.