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Pork lungs may not be the most popular or common meat to cook with, but they are worth trying if you ever get the chance! Also known as pork lights, pork lungs have a very unique and rich taste that is quite different from typical cuts of pork. They are often used in various Asian, European, and Hispanic cuisines to add robust flavor to soups, stews, tacos, dim sum dishes, and more.
If you’re curious to get your hands on some pork lungs to experiment with, you may be wondering where you can actually buy them. Compared to your average grocery store there are some specific places and specialty shops that are your best bet for finding fresh pork lungs.
In this article, we’ll give you the rundown on the top options for where to buy pork lungs both in person and online. Let’s dive in!
Check at Your Local Asian Market
One of the most obvious places to look for pork lungs is your local Asian supermarket. Since pork lungs are widely used in Chinese dim sum dishes as well as various Southeast Asian cuisines, Asian grocery stores are very likely to carry them. The lungs may be found pre-packed in the refrigerated meat case, or you can inquire with the butcher if they will have them freshly available. When shopping at an Asian grocer, expect the pork lungs to possibly be labeled as “pork lights” as well.
Visit Hispanic Carnicerias and Tiendas
Hispanic grocery stores and meat markets, also known as carnicerias, are another spot to check for pork lungs. Since they are common in Mexican and Latin American cooking, Hispanic markets catering to these cuisines will often have fresh pork lungs in stock behind the butcher counter. Feel free to ask if they have lungs available if you don’t see them immediately displayed. The Spanish name is pulmones de puerco if you need to inquire with an employee.
Check with Your Local Butcher Shop
Don’t rule out your local independent butcher shop either. While they may not always have pork lungs regularly stocked, a butcher can likely order them specially if you request them. Reach out to the butcher shop a day or two ahead to ask if they can source and prepare fresh pork lungs for you to buy in-store. Going the butcher route also allows you to specify exactly what quantity you need.
Search at Specialty Meat Shops
If you are lucky enough to live near a specialty meat shop that focuses on more unique or exotic meats, give them a call and see if pork lungs can be found there. These types of niche meat specialty stores are not as common, but they are a promising source if you happen to have one in your area. Since they specialize in harder-to-find cuts and variety meats, pork lungs may very well be within their offerings.
Look to Local Farms and Ranches
Searching for fresh pork lungs brings the opportunity to buy directly from a local farm or ranch as well. Check for local pig farms in your state or region, and then reach out to ask if they sell whole pigs or variety meats like lungs. Purchasing directly from a farm is a great way to get ultra-fresh hard-to-find pork items. Just be prepared to buy in bulk quantities.
Order Online Through Specialty Meat Stores
If the shops around you come up short, the internet provides the option to order pork lungs online and get them shipped. There are several specialty meat businesses that focus on marketplaces for exotic or rare meats. Search for “pork lungs” on sites like Walton’s Meat Market, Exotic Meat Market, and Chicago Steak Company to potentially find availability for mail order. Just be mindful of shipping costs and delivery timelines.
What to Look for When Buying Pork Lungs
Once you’ve tracked down a source for pork lungs, be sure to inspect them thoroughly before purchasing:
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Look for a clear, deep red color without blemishes or spots.
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Opt for lungs with minimal attached fat or connective tissue.
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They should have a mild smell and moist appearance.
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Avoid any with dry, dull patches or a bad odor.
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For direct farm buying, inspect for proper butchering.
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If pre-packed, check labeling for freshness date.
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Ask your butcher or farmer about feeding and antibiotic practices.
When buying pork lungs, try to cook or freeze them within 2-3 days for the best flavor and freshness. With these tips in mind, you’re ready to start seeking out this underrated ingredient and expand your culinary chops! Good luck finding the perfect pork lungs for your next adventurous cooking project.
Share All sharing options for: Here’s Why It’s Illegal to Sell Animal Lungs for Consumption in the U.S.
Some people think that offal, which is the word for organs in cooking, is the gross stuff that comes out of the plastic bag inside a Thanksgiving turkey and needs to be thrown away before the basting begins. Others want it for sweetbreads (made from the thymus gland or pancreas of a calf or lamb), pâtés (usually made with liver), and a huge variety of other treats that people all over the world eat.
On this week’s Gastropod, our intrepid hosts Nicola Twilley and Cynthia Graber step outside their comfort zones and into the vast world of eating organs. A part of their smorgasbord (emphasis on the “org”) is pig lung, a meat product that is actually illegal to sell, though legal to consume, in the U.S. It’s not particularly unusual for a country to outlaw the sale of certain foods if they’re seen as a risk to public health (consider the United Kingdom making it illegal to sell animal brains in light of the mad cow disease outbreak of the ‘80s and ‘90s), but what makes lungs so risky?
“Basically, the USDA had a group of pathologists collect several hundred cow lungs from different slaughterhouses,” says guest Dr. Jonathan Reisman is a friend of the podcast and the author of The Unseen Body: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy. “They took the lungs apart and looked at all the airways and tissues under a microscope. This is a much more thorough check than a normal USDA meat inspection would do.” And what they found in there was very concerning to them. They found fungal spores, pollen that the animals had breathed in, and even stomach contents that had worked their way into the lungs. And these contaminants made them think that lungs were not fit for human consumption. ”.
But eating lungs isn’t necessarily as detrimental as the USDA claims. “Every breath we take, from the first breath we all took when we were born to the breaths we’re taking right now, has an uncountable number of fungal spores, pollen, dust, and contaminants in them….
“So the same ‘contaminants’ that we’re inhaling, we are all swallowing all day, every day,” he concludes, “. While eating a little more of the same things from an animal’s lungs, I don’t think that is in any way dangerous. ”.
We’ll wait until the episode to find out what Nicola and Cynthia thought of the lung they got in secret and the other meat they ate. Jenn McLagan, podcast guest and author of the cookbook Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal, makes a good point for people who don’t like offal: as climate change continues to destroy the planet and our food supply chain, people who still want to eat meat should start eating offal to save resources and “respect the animal” they’re eating.
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Pork Lungs | How To Clean And Prepare For Cooking Later | Pork Offal Confinement Dish
FAQ
Are pork lungs high in cholesterol?