No, Really. It’s not a national brand, but the spirit is the same. And maybe other, bigger Fast Food operators will follow suit. It’s the second shot (we know of) by a wing purveyor to pivot to another cut – this time, even another meat – to keep customers interested in the face of a chicken wing shortage…
New Pork Wings, from Florida’s Hurricane Grill and Wings: Another
answer to the continuing U.S. Chicken wing shortage…
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Let me remind one and all that today, July 29, 2021, is National Chicken Wing Wing Day. Though celebrations will almost certainly be muted by the continuing chicken wing Shortage in the U.S., many who might otherwise have been left out of the party will honour their fave finger food by chowing down on substitute meat-on-bone delicacies.
The story up to now…
We told you a little over a month ago that Wing Stop was pioneering a new kind of wing to meet the challenge of a real-wing shortage. They introduced a new concept called Thigh Stop, selling only chicken thighs prepared in much the same way as their famous wings, and even offering ‘boneless thighs’, with all 11 of their signature dipping sauces. We predicted a revolution in the Wing Sector:
“Though it sounds a little oddball, the emergence of thighs as a new specialty may just signal the opening of a major new front in the Fried Chicken Wars. We’ll have to see if the other major chicken sector players take the bait…”
Well, at least one has.
Enter, the ‘Pork Wing’
At risk of over-hackneying an already-hackneyed expression, we reflexively reacted to the news with a snort of, “When Pigs fly!” But it turns out that regional wing chain Hurricane Grill & Wings in Florida today began selling what it calls Pork Wings – bone-in Pork Shanks available with either Hurricane’s sweet Red Chili or BBQ Sauce. No boneless Pork Wings on the horizon, but that’s hardly even a momentary distraction given the novelty of the main offering.
They look really good in the official portrait, but I’m a little dubious as to how tender Pork Wings would be. Beef shank is the cut they use to make Osso Buco, and it’s braised long and low to ensure juicy tenderness. The release I read didn’t reveal any details of how the Pork Wings are prepared, though I’d imagine some sort of marination is involved, at least. But that’s getting off topic.
It’s official
With a second combatant throwing its sword in the ring, I think it’s safe to declare a new front open in the ongoing Fried Chicken War. What’s next, only the frenzied marketing minds of a desperate industry can foretell. But I have a feeling that the lately-joined Battle of the Chicken Wing Substitutes is far from over.
My take
With the emergence of Thigh Wings and Pork Wings, we’re seeing the emergence of a new front in the Chicken Wars, and a rare, truly innovative response to a very real issue in a major food service sector. I love it when Fast Food brands break out of their usual, stagnant habit of just repurposing the same old ingredients in ‘new’ menu items. As Union Army Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman declared, “War is Hell!” But now, we can also truthfully say it’s delicious.
~ Maggie J.