Pig Wings The Newest Treat

The expression"When pigs fly" actually may have some truth to it. The latest craze now is pig wings. This tasty cut of meat is hitting restaurants and home kitchens right in time for the holidays. It's kind of like the pork version of chicken wings and just as addictive. People across the US are clamoring for this latest craze and with good reason. Pig wings are tasty.

This new treat was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. The piece, written by Dining section regular, John T. Edge, explains that that pig wings are nothing new. They're just a reinvented shank which is the fibula of the pig's back legs. These pieces have a part of chewy meat on them and they're small enough for fun eating. Traditionally they've been used to flavor soups and stews. Shanks have been cut from the ham before selling and were reprocessed into cold cuts and other products like hot dogs and sausages. Now that's all changing , thanks to a renaming. At first they were called slammers and then the cuter name pig wing was then settled on.

Pig wings are served like traditional chicken wings. They're usually battered and and then deep fried, served with a variety of dipping sauces, Like chicken wings , they can be hot and fiery or mild and crunchy, always having a side of cool ranch dressing and celery sticks. Celebrity chefs are jumping on this new phenomenon. Paula Deen has her own brand of pig shanks and she's selling them on QVC., the home shopping channel. Farmland Foods,a division of Smithfield which produces hams , is selling them as KC Pig Wings to chain restaurants. Some eateries are even putting them on sticks and serving them as Carnitas Lollipops. French restaurants are also picking up pig wings and giving them the fancier name of French pork confit.

Pig wings are becoming the latest craze to hit the American palate. They are exactly what people want, crunchy and flavorful along with just being fun. We'll definitely be seeing more of them in the months to come.