"KevinS" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
>
> On Oct 25, 2006, OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote::
>
> > Looks like the same part of the pig to me????
> (referring to pork hocks and pork shanks)
>
> The ham shanks I buy are larger and meatier
> than the ham hocks I sometimes have to
> substitute. They otherwise seem similar.
> I had always thought that the hock was lower
> down than the shank, but both descending from
> the picnic/shoulder/butt, but I don't claim to be
> the resident butcher.
>
> For the most part, I prefer shanks. I wish I
> could find nice ones in my area of Northern
> CA. In Portland (OR), there were several places
> to buy nice shanks,
>
A shank is the lower tapered portion of the ham. If you look at a Virginia
ham the next time your at the grocery store you'll see what I'm talking
about, because they leave the shank attached to the ham when curing it. A
hock is the ankle of the pig cut from the front and back feet just above the
hoof.