[1] Barbecue pig wings (photos #1, #3, and #4 © Smithfield Food).

[2] Buffalo wings—pig wings, that is (photo © Kingsford).

[3] Plain pig wings served with a choice of dips.

[4] Grilled pig wings. Here’s the recipe (photo © Real Food By Dad).

[5] Raw pig wings.

October is National Pork Month (October 12th is National Pork Day). How about something new in pork..say, pig wings?

Say what?

Pig wings are a whimsical name for a relatively new pork cut made from the fibula of a pig’s lower shank, a single bone surrounded by lean, tender meat (photos #1, #2, and #3—see where the shank is in the diagram below).

They’re fun food, great with a beer, great game day food.

Pig wings may have been around for the better part of 20 years but didn’t make it to our neck of the woods. We discovered them online, and we’re thankful.

Pig wings are similar to ribs but are leaner, with juicy meat, and easier to prepare.

They’re even easier when you buy them already cooked, ready to add your own dipping sauces.

Their name was bestowed because some people felt that when they are cooked they look like chicken wings. Earlier names included pork hammers and sluggers.

We think they look more like pork lollipops.

They’ve also been called “pork on a stick” and “pork without the fork.” The meat has the tender mouthfeel of a chicken wing but with the flavor of pork.

This specialty cut of pork is made by the butcher from the lower shank of a hock. Here’s a video from the Bearded Butchers.

The wings are typically marinated, seasoned, and cooked in a choice of methods (baked, fried, grilled, or smoked).

They can be served as tasty finger food, like chicken wings, or can be the protein on a lunch or dinner plate.

You may not find pig wings in your grocery store’s meat case, but you can buy the pork shanks and ask the butcher to cut them (or cut them yourself with the instructions in the video).

You may find them at Costco and certainly online. A few purveyors:

 
Here are instructions from Pioneer Meats for baking, grilling, and frying.

> The different cuts of pork.

> The history of pork is below.
 
 
RECIPE: PIG WINGS

Here’s a basic recipe:

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MARINATE the pig wings. Coat them generously and let the wings marinate for at least 30 minutes to several hours to infuse flavor into the meat.

2. PREHEAT your grill or oven to the desired temperature.

3. COOK until the pig wings are cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.

4. SERVE hot with your favorite dipping sauces.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF PIG WINGS

Pig wings weren’t invented by an entrepreneurial ex-pig farmer.

Bob File, a former pig farmer and the president of Pioneer Meats, became aware that meat from the lower shank of the pig usually went into the trim bucket and got turned into ground pork.

He saw the untapped potential to turn it into a valuable cut. He presented it to commercial channels who are always looking for something new to appeal to consumers. And the rest is history [source].

He and his partner, Bob George, trademarked the name “Pig Wings” in 2003.

They then began selling it to chain restaurants, membership warehouses, and online.

“Pig wings” emerged as an attractive marketing concept: fun, appealing, and recognizable (via comparison to chicken wings) to consumers.

This fun and tasty finger food has the legs (or is that, wings?) to last.

The history of pork started, of course, with the domestication of pigs, more than 10,000 years ago.

They were first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent, which includes what are now Egypt, southern Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and parts of Turkey and Iran. (Ironically, in some of these countries Islam prohibits the consumption of pork by Muslims.)

Domestication occurred during the Neolithic period (also called the New Stone Age), the final stage of cultural evolution and technological development among prehistoric humans.

It was characterized by the use of stone tools shaped by polishing or grinding; on settlement in permanent villages by the former nomadic hunter-gatherers, which enabled the domestication of, and dependence on, farmed plants and animals*; and the appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving [source].
 
 
Domesticating The Pig

The process of domestication involved the selective breeding of wild boars (Sus scrofa), into what is basically today’s domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus).

Pigs are relatively easy to raise and they provide valuable meat, leather, and fat. Their domestication played a crucial role in the development of early agriculture and human settlements.

Pigs were raised by the major ancient civilizations, including the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Mesopotamians, and Romans.
 
 
The Role Of Pork

The role of pork in religious and cultural practices varied widely. In some ancient societies, pigs were sacred animals, while in others, they were used as sacrifices.

In Abrahamic religions such as Judaism and Islam, pork was and is considered unclean and forbidden for consumption.

In contrast, many other cultures, especially in Europe, embraced pork as a staple in their diets.

Pork as a major food source in Europe. Pork became a significant part of European cuisines, very popular in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Cured and smoked pork products such as bacon, ham, and sausages were created, and many regions developed their own unique pork dishes.

Pork in the Americas. Pigs were first brought to the Americas in the 1500s by early explorers and settlers as a source of food.

Free-range livestock management practices and escapes from enclosures led to the first establishment of feral swine populations in North America.

The pigs quickly adapted to their new environment and became an important source of meat for the indigenous populations as well as the European colonists [source].

Modern Pork Production. The industrialization of agriculture in the 19th and 20th centuries led to significant changes in pork production. Large-scale pig farms and breeding programs were developed to meet the growing demand for pork. Pork processing and packaging also became more efficient during this time.

Pork today. Today, pork is consumed all around the world, and it plays a central role in the diets of many people.

The pork industry is a significant part of the global food supply chain. Pork production involves various breeds of pigs, specialized facilities, and modern techniques to ensure food safety and efficiency. The industry also faces ongoing challenges related to animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and public health concerns.

The latest data shows that Americans eat an annual 66.18 pounds of pork per capita [source].

Iowa is the top producer by far, with 2.5 times more pigs than its nearest rival, Minnesota, with North Carolina in third place. Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota round out the top 10. Here’s the data.
 

*Goats were probably the first animals to be domesticated, followed closely by sheep. In Southeast Asia, chickens were also domesticated about 10,000 years ago. The first domesticated plants in the Fertile Crescent were wheat, barley, lentils, and types of peas.
 
 

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Do you have a package of celery seeds languishing in your pantry? Here’s what you can do with them. First…
 
 
WHAT ARE CELERY SEEDS?

Celery seeds are tiny brown seeds (photo #1) that are harvested from the flowers of the wild celery plant (photo #2)—a different variety from the celery we eat. They are one of the smallest seed spices, and (trivia alert!) there are approximately 750,000 seeds in 1 pound, 45,000 in one ounce.

Diminutive though they may be, it takes very few of these aromatic seeds to deliver a mouthful of celery stalk flavor. Yes, the seeds taste just like the stalk.

(Food 101: The whole bunch or head of celery is called a stalk. It is composed of individual pieces called ribs. Celery hearts are the tender innermost ribs of the celery stalk. The darker the color, the stronger the flavor.)

In addition to their use as a spice, celery seeds are rich in antioxidants, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Celery seed has been used medicinally in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times, to treat arthritis, colds, poor digestion, flu, certain diseases of the liver and spleen, and water retention.

Whole celery seed lasts for years in the jar. But to test if your years-old product is still good, see the footnote† below.

> The history of celery seeds is below.

> The history of celery.

> March is National Celery Month.
 
 
USES FOR CELERY SEEDS

Celery seeds are commonly used to flavor pickles, coleslaw, and other salads. In Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, they add a punch to soups, stews, and curries.

They’re also common in Russian and Scandinavian foods, including cabbage dishes (we use them in our stuffed cabbage recipe).

The seeds are also ground and mixed with other spices to create Cajun and Creole seasonings, celery salt, and Old Bay Seasoning, among others.

Tip: In smooth foods where texture isn’t expected, such as barbecue sauce, grind the seeds before adding them. Another tip: It’s better to buy it whole than ground, as the flavor will dissipate much faster from the ground spice.

Celery seeds are very strongly flavored, so just a pinch is usually enough. Add celery seed to:

 
 
THE HISTORY OF CELERY SEEDS

Wild celery, also called smallage, is believed to be native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, where celery seeds have been used in cooking for thousands of years.

Initially, celery seeds were used in homeopathic and Ayurvedic medicine.

The medicinal plant in Homer’s Odyssey, written about 850 B.C.E.†, is thought to be celery seed.

The visual record of mankind’s historical link with celery seeds is in ancient Egypt, where it has been found in tombs [source].

[1] Celery seeds are the tiniest of spice seeds (photo © Savory Spice Shop).

[2] Wild celery is too bitter to eat, but is cultivated for celery seed (photo © Memphis Herb Society).

[3] Celery seed and coleslaw are a classic pairing (photo © Vermont Creamery).

[4] Dr. Brown Cel-Ray has been America’s celery-flavored soft drink since 1868. Here’s a recipe to make your own (photo © Serious Eats).

[5] Celery seed dressing. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cleverly Simple).

The Italians domesticated wild celery and developed it into a plant with a solid stem, without the bitterness of smallage. Thus began the development of the Pascal celery variety that we find in grocery stores today [source].

It was only in the 19th century that North Americans began to use celery seed, mainly in pickling solutions [source].

The 19th century also saw the debut, in 1868, of Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Soda, a celery-flavored soft drink that is made from celery seeds.

It was developed as a tonic that was touted as “good for calming stomachs and bowels.” It paired well with salty, fatty foods, like pastrami, and became popular in New York’s Jewish delicatessens, where it can still be found.

Here’s the history of Cel-Ray, which may be poised for a renaissance.
 
 
__________________

*If the seeds are odorless or their aroma is very faint, chances are that they have lost their flavor. Similarly, if the seeds taste weak or bland, they’re past their prime.

†The Iliad and The Odyssey are dated by scholars to the late 8th or early 7th century B.C.E. By this time the invention of writing was becoming widespread in Greece, and it seems that the poems in these two epics were also set down then for the first time [source].

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[1] The real deal: tagliatelle pasta with ragù alla Bolognese. Here’s the recipe (photos #1, #2, and #3 © Tina’s Table).

[2] Tagliatelle are a traditional pasta from the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions of northern Italy. They are long, flat ribbons that are wider than fettuccine but narrower than pappardelle (about 6 mm wide).

[3] Lasagna Bolognese. Here’s the recipe. Bolognese ragù can be used on other pasta shapes and is the most popular sauce to use with lasagna.

[4] In the original recipe for ragù alla Bolognese, the chef specified rigatoni.

[5] Cooking Bolognese sauce (photo © Klaus Nielsen | Pexels).

What’s a ragù? If you don’t know, it’s time to learn, because October 21st is World Bolognese Ragù Day.

A ragù (rah-GOO) is a meat-based sauce. The Italian word derives from the French ragoût, from the verb ragoûter, “to revive the taste.”

The French ragout is a simmered stew of fish, meat, or vegetables reduced to small pieces, which became popular in the 18th century [source 1] [source 2].

> The history of ragu is below.

But for starters, the earliest documented recipe for a ragù served with pasta comes from the late 18th century in Imola, a commune in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, the historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

The chef, Alberto Alvisi, was the cook to Cardinal Barnaba Chiaramonti, who became Pope Pius VII.

A ragù is usually made by adding meat to a soffritto*, a mixture of finely chopped onions, celery, carrots, and garlic, and fresh herbs such as parsley or sage.

The soffritto is partially cooked in olive oil. It is then simmered for a long time in tomato sauce.

(A soffritto is the progenitor of the French concept of the mirepoix, onions, celery, and carrots cooked slowly in butter or olive oil.)

Ragù can be made with any meat or game. Which brings us to today’s food holiday:

Ragù alla bolognese (often called Bolognese sauce in the U.S.) is made with ground pork, beef, and pancetta.

An authentic ragù alla Bolognese is not a tomato sauce with meat, but a meat sauce with a smaller amount of tomato.

Ragù alla Napoletana (Neapolitan ragù) includes sliced beef, raisins, and pine nuts.

There are many other types of ragù, each city adding its own touches:

 
Pick a meat: goat lamb, pheasant, turkey, whatever. There’s even a vegan Bolognese made with mushrooms.
 
 
RECIPE: RAGU ALLA BOLOGNESE

Here is a recipe with many tips from Tina’s Table, whose creator, Tina Prestia, advises that it takes five hours to make an authentic Bolognese.

Check out photo #1, the real deal, her ragu alla Bolognese served atop tagliatelle, which is the “official pasta” for the ragù.

Although in Italy ragù alla bolognese is served with flat pasta, like tagliatelle, a “Spaghetti Bolognese” using round strands of spaghetti has become a popular dish in many other parts of the world.

Here’s another recipe, this one is the “official” recipe registered with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 1982. It’s in Italian, but Google Translate will translate it for you.
 
 
ITALIAN BOLOGNESE VS. ITALIAN-AMERICAN BOLOGNESE

Italian-American Bolognese is not the same as Bolognese from Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy.

In Emilia-Romagna, Bolognese is as much about the aromatic base of vegetables as it is about the meat.

Italian-American versions are very meat-heavy, benefiting from America’s much more affordable meat supply. It’s more of a tomato sauce with ground beef. Red wine is also used, instead of the white wine of Italian Bolognese.
 
 
BOLOGNESE VS. RAGÙ

Bolognese is a form of ragù. There are some technicalities:

 
 
THE HISTORY OF RAGÙ

The first sauce called a ragù, ragù per i maccheroni (ragu for pasta**), was recorded by Alberto Alvisi, the cook to the Cardinal Barnaba Chiaramonti of Imola, who became Pope Pius VII.

It’s thought to derive from the mid-19th century when Alvisi spent considerable time in Bologna.

Alvisi was inspired by French ragoût, which became popular in Italy when Napoleon’s soldiers brought it with them.

Wealthy and aristocratic Italians were attracted to French culture and food and readily incorporated classic French dishes like ragoût in their own culinary traditions.
 
 
The Original Recipe

Alvisi’s sauce called for predominantly lean veal along with pancetta, butter, onion, and carrot. The meats and vegetables were finely minced, cooked with butter until the meats browned, then covered and cooked with broth. There was no tomato, either in paste form or otherwise.

His recipe was published as Il Ragù del Cardinale (“The Cardinal’s Ragù”). Here’s the recipe.

 
The early 1830s. After the early 1830s, recipes for ragù appear frequently in cookbooks from the Emilia-Romagna region.

The late 1800s. By the late 19th century, the high cost of meat led to dishes that needed a lot of it reserved for feast days and Sundays—and only among the wealthier classes of the newly unified Italy [source].

Pasta was not part of the “cucina povera” of Italy—the food is eaten by peasants and other poor.

Farmers mostly consumed porridge-like soups, different types of breads and grains, and a lot of the vegetables they grew and foraged. White flour was expensive.

Technological advances of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century made white flour more affordable for the less affluent.

The adoption of pasta by lower-income people was furthered in the period of economic prosperity that followed World War II.

According to De Vita, before World War II, 80% of the Italian rural population ate a diet based on plants; pasta was reserved for special feast days and was then often served in a legume soup.
 
 
__________________

*The Italian spelling is soffritto, the Spanish spelling is sofrito.

**At the time, maccheroni was a general term for both dried and fresh pasta.

†Rigatoni is also known as denti di cavallo, which translates to “horse’s teeth.” This cut has ridges that help to pick up and hold the sauce.

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