A local restaurant serves delicious pork shank, served over creamy blue cheese grits w' spinach. It's skin-off shank, the but the meat is crispy and bacon-like on the outside and creamy towards the bone. In an effort to re-create this, I've got a couple rear shanks from a free range place at my local farmers market. They are skin-off, as I don't want to make eisbein or cracklin' shank, just a crispy on the outside tender on the inside delicious shank treat.
SO, I'm thinking of smoking the shanks with an herb based rub until they are nice and fall-off-the bone tender, cooling them down in the fridge, then pan-frying them to get that nice crispy outside. I don't think that they are thick enough to allow a crispy skin to develop in the smoker before they are over-cooked, but I'm worried about over cooking them when I fry. Does anybody have experience with the shanks (hocks) on a smoker? I know they are traditionally braised or roasted, but I'd like to smoke them bad boys.
SO, I'm thinking of smoking the shanks with an herb based rub until they are nice and fall-off-the bone tender, cooling them down in the fridge, then pan-frying them to get that nice crispy outside. I don't think that they are thick enough to allow a crispy skin to develop in the smoker before they are over-cooked, but I'm worried about over cooking them when I fry. Does anybody have experience with the shanks (hocks) on a smoker? I know they are traditionally braised or roasted, but I'd like to smoke them bad boys.
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