“Oh my goodness! What is that?” was my ecstatic reaction when my mom called me down to try a new after school “snack”…

In my previous post, Craved Curried Couscous, I wrote about the power smell and how it draws you toward a food even if you’ve never tasted it before. Have you ever heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”? It’s definitely a great piece of wisdom, especially with food, but sometimes food items look so delicious that it makes you contradict the message. For example, this afternoon, I immediately knew when I saw the special “snack” that it was going to be delicious. In front of me lay a huge, almost football sized piece of pork shank with glistening crispy skin on the outside. The smell was amazing too, a mix of pork with a little fat, but it was nothing compared to the look. A shining golden trophy, the dish was literally meat heaven. On the inside you received this perfect, well cooked, pork meat, salted well to not overpower the other flavors. A literal marshmallow, the pork shank was probably one of the softest pieces of food I had ever tried. Then there’s the crispy skin, which is, something real special. The skin is like a chip, really crunchy and crumbly, but with that amazing meat flavor. I don’t know if you’ve tried chicharrones (dried pork rinds), but the crispy pork shank skin is a bit like that, but crunchier.

I’m sorry if I made you hungry reading this (my mouth’s watering too). However, the good news is that you can find this tasty dish at the Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie (one in SF, Los Altos, and Oakland). Any time you’re in one of those cities, stop by for a bite, or a whole meal really. Remember, it comes with both meat and chips. How cool is that? You’ll get the ultimate 2 in 1 experience: crispy pork shank.

Tip: Eat with a wet towel or napkin because your hands get super oily.