Love for the Pork Shank?

NewfieFan

NewfieFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm not a huge meat lover (I eat it but I don't go nuts for meat, especially meat on a bone) but darn it that Pork Shank (Gaston's Tavern) is gooooood! It's way better than the Turkey Leg. The meat is so moist and just falls apart. And it's not that salty, just a nice pork flavor. We had two on two seperate occasions.

(I also enjoyed Lefou's Brew!)
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
I've never understood the revulsion by some from meat on a bone.

Doesn't all meat come off of a bone?
 
NewfieFan

NewfieFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
unkadug said:
I've never understood the revulsion by some from meat on a bone.

Doesn't all meat come off of a bone?
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Well yes, but that doesn't mean I want to eat it straight off the bone! I like to pick my meat off it and then put it in my mouth... some people like to eat french fries with a fork... to each his own, I suppose!?!
 
Slipknot

Slipknot

Well-Known Member
I've only had the pork shank once and I ate it in Gaston's with the plastic fork and knife. Next time I'll see what it's like eating it without utensils in the rest of the park.
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
NewfieFan said:
Well yes, but that doesn't mean I want to eat it straight off the bone! I like to pick my meat off it and then put it in my mouth... some people like to eat french fries with a fork... to each his own, I suppose!?!
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It's like a "natural" food handle.

Like eating grapes right from the bunch.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
IMHO the pork shank blows away the turkey leg. Granted, I am not the biggest fan of the turkey leg, the flavor was good, but it was just too much work. The pork shank is cooked fall off the bone tender. So much so that it might as well be boneless. About the only criticism I have for the pork shank is that it is a little light on flavor. It seems to be pork and that is it. If I was making it myself, I would have kicked up the spices a notch or two.
 
sshindel

sshindel

The Epcot Manifesto
Loved the pork shank, and the good thing is that it was big enough that my wife, myself, and my 5YO all shared one and were plenty full after. HUGE fan of the pork shank.
 
Patricia Melton

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
Master Yoda said:
IMHO the pork shank blows away the turkey leg. Granted, I am not the biggest fan of the turkey leg, the flavor was good, but it was just too much work. The pork shank is cooked fall off the bone tender. So much so that it might as well be boneless. About the only criticism I have for the pork shank is that it is a little light on flavor. It seems to be pork and that is it. If I was making it myself, I would have kicked up the spices a notch or two.
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I cook with a lot of spices, too...so I understand where you are coming from.

What's really hard about serving the general public is that people complain loudly if there are spices...they love to shout "It's too spicy!". The end result is that companies today err on the side of not using spices so that the malcontents don't grumble that something is "too spicy".

When people read a review of something and they see "it was not spicy enough" they just figure they can add pepper or salt if they want...but when they see "it was too spicy!" they steer clear of whatever it was because they reckon there is nothing the can do to make something "less spicy" at a table.

The professional complainers of the Internet really do have a negative effect on the quality of most food items put out there today. It was not like this in the 80s and 90s when my family was in the restaurant business. Companies seemed more willing to take chances with flavors and put out things that today would be seen as "too risky'...all for fear of having people go on Yelp or web forums to complain.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Patricia Melton said:
I cook with a lot of spices, too...so I understand where you are coming from.

What's really hard about serving the general public is that people complain loudly if there are spices...they love to shout "It's too spicy!". The end result is that companies today err on the side of not using spices so that the malcontents don't grumble that something is "too spicy".

When people read a review of something and they see "it was not spicy enough" they just figure they can add pepper or salt if they want...but when they see "it was too spicy!" they steer clear of whatever it was because they reckon there is nothing the can do to make something "less spicy" at a table.

The professional complainers of the Internet really do have a negative effect on the quality of most food items put out there today. It was not like this in the 80s and 90s when my family was in the restaurant business. Companies seemed more willing to take chances with flavors and put out things that today would be seen as "too risky'...all for fear of having people go on Yelp or web forums to complain.
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That is exactly what I thought as well. Disney has a huge market they have to appeal to and that means extreme flavors are a big no go. I think I might bring a bottle of one of Weber's spice blends with me next time we are in MK and see if that takes it over the top. Either way I will be consuming many pork shanks at Gaston's over the next few years.
 
Patricia Melton

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
Master Yoda said:
That is exactly what I thought as well. Disney has a huge market they have to appeal to and that means extreme flavors are a big no go. I think I might bring a bottle of one of Weber's spice blends with me next time we are in MK and see if that takes it over the top. Either way I will be consuming many pork shanks at Gaston's over the next few years.
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I've never thought to carry around spices when I go to a place like a theme park...or anywhere that I know I am going to be eating either fast food or quick-service things. You really made me think about how much I would probably enjoy this.

I don't like ketchup or mustard. I do enjoy BBQ sauce from time to time...but usually at home I just like chicken, burgers, porkchops, etc. with a little bit of the Grille Mates spices I like to buy. I have a lemon pepper one, a spicy peppercorn one, and a few others. They are dry spices, not a sauce. A little sprinkle on a piece of chicken is just right for me.

I might have to think about using your idea from now on. The only thing I'd be concerned of is the slippery slope of what it would do to my purse...in that, I am in an endless war against things accumulating in there. I am always afraid of adding something new because then it will be a precedent to add something else tomorrow...and pretty soon I've got the kitchen sink in there. That's just a personal challenge I have that others might not.
 
Dasnowz

Dasnowz

Well-Known Member
according to my husband they are really good the next day as well. I had some time one night and went and grabbed 2. I wrapped them up, hauled them around in my backpack for about 3 more hours then a nice long drive home. He said they were still nice and moist the next day. we cut the meat off the bone and re-heated it. the tavern has no way to wrap these to go so thankfully I had brought my lunch earlier and re-used my containers. We have been back and had one fresh and he said it was really good but needed spice. He despises turkey legs saying they are nasty but will eat pork shank. Its nice to have other options in the park.
 
MissM

MissM

Well-Known Member
Sadly, I can't eat pork since it makes me sick (oh pork, how I miss you!) but I can comment that they smell SO GOOD. The entire tavern smells delicious and they even smell better than the turkey legs. (Which I also don't eat but which always smell appealing when you walk by the cart.)
 

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