The elusive beef cut some chefs can’t resist

By Cathy Erway, The New York Times

When chef Darren Chang was growing up in Arcadia, California, his mother would braise large pots of beef shanks throughout the week, to top bowls of piping-hot noodle soup for dinner, or to roll up in scallion pancakes smeared with hoisin for a quick snack. Tender and jiggly with collagen, and deeply flavored with soy sauce and aromatics, they were always in the refrigerator.

When Chang and chef Travis Masar opened their Taiwanese food stand, Pig and Tiger, in Denver nearly six years ago, they struggled to source the boneless beef shanks for their signature beef noodle soup and Los Angeles-style beef rolls. Most meat purveyors didn’t carry the cut, so the chefs often had to clear out the retail selection at local Asian supermarkets. Masar suggested using brisket or short ribs instead of beef shanks, but Chang shut down the idea.

“There’s an emotional attachment,” Chang said. “I’m usually the one who’s ...