Main dishes
Juicy Oven-Roasted Pork Neck (Bondiola), Foil-Covered
Oven-roasted pork neck (bondiola) with a mustard, honey, garlic and soy marinade. Slow covered cooking, resting time and a pan-juice sauce.
- Total time
- 260 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Argentine
Ingredients
For the pork
For the marinade
For roasting
To serve (optional)
Method
Pat dry and season the pork
Keep the pork neck refrigerated until you start preparing it. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper before applying the marinade.
Make the marinade
In a bowl, mix the chopped garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice and sweet paprika into a thick, even paste.
Marinate and let it rest
Coat the piece on all sides with the marinade, using a brush or clean hands. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour; if you can, leave it overnight so the garlic and salt penetrate.
Brown the pork
Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C) with the rack in the center. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the piece for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the surface is toasted. The honey darkens fast: watch that it doesn't burn.
Bake covered until tender
Place the pork in a roasting pan with 200 ml water and cover the pan with foil. Bake at 160 °C (320 °F), starting to check tenderness at about 2 hours. If still firm, continue covered and add a little hot water to the pan as needed. Brown only once tender; 2 hours is a guide, not a fixed limit.
Uncover and caramelize
Uncover, raise the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) and brown for about 15–20 minutes, watching the honey. Check tenderness and the thickest part's temperature: this recipe aims for about 80–85 °C to soften the cut. Whole pork has a safe minimum of 63 °C (145 °F) followed by at least 3 minutes of rest; the next step allows 15 minutes.
Let it rest for 15 minutes
Move the pork to a board and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes: the juices redistribute instead of running out at the first cut.
Make the pan sauce
Strain the pan juices into a saucepan and skim off excess fat from the surface. Boil over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom, until it thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the salt.
Slice and serve
Slice the pork into ½-inch (1.5 cm) rounds, against the grain. Serve hot with the reduced pan juices on top, roast potatoes and chimichurri or Argentine salad.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
For a 2 kg piece, start checking tenderness after about 2 hours covered at 160 °C (320 °F). Thickness and ovens change the timing: if still firm, continue covered and keep liquid in the pan. A 1 kg piece will not necessarily take half the time.
Cover the roasting pan with foil to retain moisture; there is no need to wrap the meat tightly. Uncover only to brown and watch the honey. Whole pork has a safe minimum of 63 °C (145 °F) with 3 minutes of rest; this recipe aims for 80–85 °C for tenderness, also checking with a fork.
Rest for 15 minutes and slice against the grain. Reheat leftovers with their juices to 74 °C (165 °F) in the center.
Substitutions
- No Dijon mustard: yellow mustard, in a smaller amount.
- No honey: brown sugar or maple syrup, same amount.
- No soy sauce: an extra teaspoon of salt plus a splash of broth.
- In some countries this cut is sold as pork collar or pork neck.
Storage
Refrigerate the meat and juices within 2 hours of taking it out of the oven, in closed containers. It keeps for 3 to 4 days and reheats gently with some of the sauce to 165°F (74°C). You can freeze it in portions for up to 3 months.
Sources: USDA FSIS, minimum safe temperatures; USDA FSIS, leftovers and food safety.
References: FoodSafety.gov.
More meat recipes for another meal
Nutrition facts
1 serving (1/6 of the recipe, no side dish)
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbohydrates
- 7 g
- Fat
- 64 g
- Saturated fat
- 22 g
Estimated values from USDA FoodData Central, adding up the raw ingredients and dividing by 6 servings. Some fat stays in the roasting pan, so the real value may be lower. Does not include salt or the side dish.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
Bondiola is the pork neck, a cut with fat marbling that turns tender with slow cooking. In Argentina and Uruguay it's a weekend table classic, and in other countries it's sold as pork collar or pork neck. This recipe makes it in a home oven with a marinade of mustard, honey, garlic and soy sauce that caramelizes on the surface.
The secret is three steps: browning the piece before roasting it, cooking it covered with a little water so it softens, and letting it rest before slicing. The pan juices become a simple sauce to spoon over the slices, served with roast potatoes or chimichurri.
Frequently asked questions
What cut is bondiola?
It is a marbled pork neck cut suited to slow cooking. Ask your butcher for pork neck; names differ between countries.
How long does a 2 kg pork neck take?
Start checking after about 2 hours covered at 160 °C (320 °F). If not tender, continue covered with liquid in the pan; thickness also matters. Finally uncover and brown for 15–20 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F).
How do I use foil?
Cover the roasting pan to retain steam during slow cooking, then uncover to brown. Add hot water to the pan if it runs dry.
Why is cooked pork neck still tough?
A safe minimum temperature does not ensure the connective tissue is tender. Continue gentle covered cooking; this recipe aims for 80–85 °C and a fork-tender texture.
