Looking for ethnic meat market for PORK SHANKS

A recipe calls for pork shanks, either whole bone in or 'osso bucco' style-thick bone in slices. I know about the usual Paulina, Gebhard, etc but would prefer a more reasonalbly priced ethnic meat market. Grateful for any ideas .. NORTH SIDE preferred
Thanks,
Berns

Probably worth giving Tai Nam (or one of the other nearby places, Golden Pacific, et al) a shot.

Tai Nam
4925 North Broadway Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 275-5666

Fresh Farms on Touhy would likely have them. They stock a lot of cuts there. I can't speak to the quality, however, as I've never purchased pork there.

=R=

5740 W Touhy Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 779-7343

The Cermak Produce at 4234 North Kedzie regularly carries pork shanks. However, you may need to take them with the foot included.

ekreider wrote:The Cermak Produce at 4234 North Kedzie regularly carries pork shanks. However, you may need to take them with the foot included.

This is what I was thinking too (though I presume they can saw off the foot).

You might also try Harvestime on Lawrence.

I'd recommend a place that butchers more Piggies
than most places I know - and that's Kurowski Sausage and Meat Shop-
on N. Milwaukee.
Heck- they may even give em to ya-
I mean- they got a blue barrel of FREE BONES at the end of the Meat Counter.

One thing I would do prior to going (unless you are already fluent in Polish) is to Google Translate
"Pork Shank"- or "Pork Leg Bone" prior to your going .....ya know-
the "phrase-that-pays"!
FWIW= "cholewka świnia"


Kurowski Sausage Shop
2978 N. Milwaukee
Chicago,IL
773.645.1692

What's the difference between a shank and a hock?

What's the difference between a shank and a hock?

I'd say- nada- the same.....

I've definitely seen these at Fresh Farms, Niles. They are cut into 1-2 inch disks. I don't recall seeing them whole.

Pork hocks in the meat counter normally are mostly a joint with a little meat on one or both sides. The shank goes from just below the shank end of the ham to just above the foot and has a lot of meat.

The diagram upthread has some very unusual labeling. The proportions are weird. For example, there are no ribs in the part labeled "Spare Rib" and is mostly where the shoulder butt is. The part labeled "Hand" seems to include the picnic and some of the body where the front leg is attached. Has anybody ever seen a pig with a tail that long?

zoid wrote:What's the difference between a shank and a hock?

They are connected to one another. If you start at the feet and go up, you'll first hit the hock and then the shank. On the front of the animal, you'd then hit the shoulder. On the back of the animal, you'd then hit the ham. As ekreider wrote, the hocks don't have much meat. A common use it to throw smoked or cured hocks in a pot with greens or beans to add flavor. The shanks, on the other hand, are meant to be eaten - and they are very good.

There's a good knot of meat on a shank -- tough stuff, but a braise -- preferably followed by a crisping fry, as in the Bavarian specialty Schweineshaxe (just means pork shank), makes for a very tasty meal.

Anatomy-wise, the shank is the forearm or lower leg. The hock is the wrist and hand or ankle and foot, less the fingers and toes.