Baked

• Baking neck bones is the start of a traditional soul food dish. Put about a cup of water for each two pounds of bones in a roasting pan and bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about an hour, adding more liquid if necessary. Make a roux with equal parts flour and butter and add the roasting liquid to the roux to make a gravy. Pour the gravy over the bones and roast, covered, while you make some rice to serve with your pork.

Sauteed

• Saute a generous amount of neck bones with seasonings until they caramelize. If you don't have a big enough pan, saute the bones in batches. Set the cooked bones aside, then saute chopped onion and minced garlic in the pan. To make a traditional Italian sauce or "Sunday gravy," put the bones back in the pan, add some fresh or dried Italian seasonings and enough canned or fresh tomatoes to cover. Continue roasting until the meat nearly falls off the bone.

Simmered

• Use pork necks as a base for nearly any soup. The clear broth is particularly suited to Asian-style soups. Boil the necks in water until scum appears on the top, discard the water, refill the pot and simmer the bones until the broth is strong enough for your taste. It's up to you what flavorings to add. Daikon radish chunks, onions, bok choy and a little fish sauce will make a good Asian soup. Pick the meat off the bones and add it to the soup or reserve it for another use. This basic technique can be used to make Mexican soups, using appropriate spices and vegetables.

Meatballs

• Neck bone meat adds a rich dimension of flavor to your favorite meatball recipe. Cook the neck bones in a slow cooker with equal parts water and either beer or wine, and walk away for six to eight hours. Remove the bones, pick the meat off and discard the bones. Replace some of the meat called for in your meatball recipe with the pork. Use any leftover broth for sauces or soups.