Cuisine: The Polish Palate
•
Course: Main Courses
•
Diet: High-Protein

Karkówka w Sosie Własnym (Braised Pork Neck in Onion Gravy)

Meltingly tender slices of pork neck slow-braised in a rich, deeply savoury onion gravy.
Prep time 15m
Temp 100°C (212°F)
Cook time 2h 15m
Rest time 5m
Total 2h 35m
Yield 4
Per serving:
530 kcal
13g Carbs
34g Protein
38g Fat
By Adam Dworak

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Ingredients

  • 800 g
    Pork Neck
    Pork Neck
  • 300 g
    Brown Onion
    Brown Onion
  • 3 pcs
    Garlic cloves
    Garlic cloves
  • 30 g
    Plain Flour
    Plain Flour
  • 30 g
    Lard
    Lard
  • 600 ml
    Water
    Water
  • 2 pcs
    Bay Leaves
    Bay Leaves
  • 3 pcs
    Allspice Berries
    Allspice Berries
  • 17 g
    Salt
    Salt
  • 3 g
    Black Pepper
    Black Pepper

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Kitchen Kit

  • Large Heavy-Bottomed Pot
  • Meat Mallet
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Chef's Knife
Person cooking steak in a pan on a stove with ingredients around

Method

  1. Slice the pork neck into thick, 2cm steaks. Bash them lightly with a meat mallet or the heel of your hand just to even out their thickness and break down the initial fibres.
  2. We have 17g of salt in total. Take exactly 8g of this salt and thoroughly season the pork slices on both sides, followed by the black pepper. Reserve the remaining 9g of salt for the gravy.
  3. Dredge the seasoned pork slices heavily in the plain flour, shaking off the excess. Keep any leftover flour on the board.
  4. Heat the lard in a heavy-bottomed cast iron casserole dish or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Once shimmering, lay the pork slices in. Do not crowd the pan; do this in batches if necessary. Sear aggressively for 4 to 5 minutes per side until you have a dark, golden-brown crust. Remove the meat to a plate.
  5. Chuck the sliced onions directly into the residual pork fat. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift up that glorious, crusty fond.
  6. Once the onions have softened and picked up the dark colour from the pan, crush the garlic cloves with the flat of your knife and stir them in, along with the bay leaves and allspice berries. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Scatter in any leftover flour from your dredging board and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw starch.
  7. Pour in the 600ml of water. It will splutter and steam—use a wooden spoon to vigorously deglaze the pan, ensuring every last bit of flavour is lifted from the base.
  8. Return the seared pork slices and any resting juices back into the pot. Bring the liquid to a rapid boil (this heat-up physics will take about 5 to 7 minutes), then immediately drop the heat to the lowest setting.
  9. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let it gently simmer for 90 minutes. The meat should be yielding and tender to the point of a knife.
  10. Remove the lid for the final 10 minutes of cooking. Allow the liquid to steam dry and reduce until the gravy is rich, glossy, and easily coats the back of a spoon. Taste the gravy and stir in the remaining 9g of salt as needed to perfectly balance the seasoning. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Chef's Note & Storage
Fridge 3 days. The gravy will set like jelly when cold due to the gelatine in the pork. Reheat gently on the hob, adding a small splash of water to loosen the sauce if required.
Karkowka w sosie wlasnym

The Humble Power of Pork Neck

There is a profound, rustic magic in Karkówka w sosie własnym. "Pork neck in its own gravy" is the cornerstone of the Polish Sunday dinner, a masterclass in coaxing maximum flavour from an inexpensive cut. Pork neck is deeply marbled, heavily worked, and loaded with connective tissue. Treat it with disrespect, and it’s tough as old boots. But treat it with patience—give it a heavy sear and a slow, low braise—and it yields beautifully, melting into a dark, onion-sweetened gravy built entirely from its own pan drippings.

CHEF'S SECRET: The flour dusting isn't just for thickening the gravy at the end. When seared hard in hot lard, that floured crust caramelises and sticks to the bottom of the pan, building a robust, deeply savoury 'fond'. That burnt-looking layer is the entire backbone of your sauce. Do not rush the sear.

❖

Mastering the "Sos Własny"

The name translates literally to "in its own sauce." This means we aren't relying on heavy commercial stocks or bouillon cubes. The liquid is just water, relying entirely on the Maillard reaction from the meat, the slow-cooked breakdown of the onions, and a few pungent whole spices like allspice and bay to create a deeply complex flavour profile. The ratio here is deliberate: 600ml of water to 30g of flour will reduce down to exactly the right consistency to coat the back of a spoon.

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Karkówka w Sosie Własnym (Braised Pork Neck in Onion Gravy)
Cuisine:The Polish Palate
Course:Main Courses
Diet:High-Protein

Karkówka w Sosie Własnym (Braised Pork Neck in Onion Gravy)

By Adam Dworak

Meltingly tender slices of pork neck slow-braised in a rich, deeply savoury onion gravy.

Prep 15m
Temp 100°C
Cook 2h 15m
Rest 5m
Total 2h 35m
Yield 4
Person cooking steak in a pan on a stove with ingredients around

Kitchen Kit

  • •Large Heavy-Bottomed Pot
  • •Meat Mallet
  • •Wooden Spoon
  • •Chef's Knife
Per serving:
530 kcal
13g Carbs
34g Protein
38g Fat

Ingredients

  • 800 g Pork Neck
  • 300 g Brown Onion
  • 3 pcs Garlic cloves
  • 30 g Plain Flour
  • 30 g Lard
  • 600 ml Water
  • 2 pcs Bay Leaves
  • 3 pcs Allspice Berries
  • 17 g Salt
  • 3 g Black Pepper

Method

Step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Note:
Fridge 3 days. The gravy will set like jelly when cold due to the gelatine in the pork. Reheat gently on the hob, adding a small splash of water to loosen the sauce if required.
Karkowka w sosie wlasnym
  1. Slice the pork neck into thick, 2cm steaks. Bash them lightly with a meat mallet or the heel of your hand just to even out their thickness and break down the initial fibres.
  2. We have 17g of salt in total. Take exactly 8g of this salt and thoroughly season the pork slices on both sides, followed by the black pepper. Reserve the remaining 9g of salt for the gravy.
  3. Dredge the seasoned pork slices heavily in the plain flour, shaking off the excess. Keep any leftover flour on the board.
  4. Heat the lard in a heavy-bottomed cast iron casserole dish or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Once shimmering, lay the pork slices in. Do not crowd the pan; do this in batches if necessary. Sear aggressively for 4 to 5 minutes per side until you have a dark, golden-brown crust. Remove the meat to a plate.
  5. Chuck the sliced onions directly into the residual pork fat. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift up that glorious, crusty fond.
  6. Once the onions have softened and picked up the dark colour from the pan, crush the garlic cloves with the flat of your knife and stir them in, along with the bay leaves and allspice berries. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Scatter in any leftover flour from your dredging board and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw starch.
  7. Pour in the 600ml of water. It will splutter and steam—use a wooden spoon to vigorously deglaze the pan, ensuring every last bit of flavour is lifted from the base.
  8. Return the seared pork slices and any resting juices back into the pot. Bring the liquid to a rapid boil (this heat-up physics will take about 5 to 7 minutes), then immediately drop the heat to the lowest setting.
  9. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let it gently simmer for 90 minutes. The meat should be yielding and tender to the point of a knife.
  10. Remove the lid for the final 10 minutes of cooking. Allow the liquid to steam dry and reduce until the gravy is rich, glossy, and easily coats the back of a spoon. Taste the gravy and stir in the remaining 9g of salt as needed to perfectly balance the seasoning. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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History

The Humble Power of Pork Neck

There is a profound, rustic magic in Karkówka w sosie własnym. "Pork neck in its own gravy" is the cornerstone of the Polish Sunday dinner, a masterclass in coaxing maximum flavour from an inexpensive cut. Pork neck is deeply marbled, heavily worked, and loaded with connective tissue. Treat it with disrespect, and it’s tough as old boots. But treat it with patience—give it a heavy sear and a slow, low braise—and it yields beautifully, melting into a dark, onion-sweetened gravy built entirely from its own pan drippings.

CHEF'S SECRET: The flour dusting isn't just for thickening the gravy at the end. When seared hard in hot lard, that floured crust caramelises and sticks to the bottom of the pan, building a robust, deeply savoury 'fond'. That burnt-looking layer is the entire backbone of your sauce. Do not rush the sear.

❖

Mastering the "Sos Własny"

The name translates literally to "in its own sauce." This means we aren't relying on heavy commercial stocks or bouillon cubes. The liquid is just water, relying entirely on the Maillard reaction from the meat, the slow-cooked breakdown of the onions, and a few pungent whole spices like allspice and bay to create a deeply complex flavour profile. The ratio here is deliberate: 600ml of water to 30g of flour will reduce down to exactly the right consistency to coat the back of a spoon.