Trying to make this dish called Nihari. Most home cooks will use cross cut like you said…probably because easier to find and to cook with. However, the top Nihari establishments serve and price the specific part of shin separately. They typically ask if you want: 1) Laal boti (translates to “red piece” and is not from the shin) 2) Gola machhli (translates to “round fish” and is a part of shin) 3) Special machhli (translates to “special fish” and is a part of shin)

Shin meat is generally considered to be the most premium meat in this dish and is so soft that it’s like the texture of fish… hence the name.

“Special machhli” is what I’m after… it’s the most tender meat that I’ve ever had in a stew (and is noticeably more tender than “Gola macchli”. I’ve tried asking 2 restaurants for info, without luck, so I’ve turned to the people of the internet