Shank.
The leg below the knee. Tough, gelatinous, full of flavour. Braise it or smoke it into a shredded 'Thor's hammer'.
Beef shank is done when it is probe tender, usually between 200 and 205 F. The number is a checkpoint. USDA FSIS calls beef safe at 145 F with a 3 minute rest. Tenderness comes later.
Where it comes from
Cross-cut shanks are the osso buco cut. FSIS's planning table simmers stew or cross-cuts covered in liquid for 2 to 3 hours. Whole smoked shank is a showpiece cook that follows shoulder logic: smoke, then braise or wrap until the meat falls from the bone.
USDA FSIS primal: shank (fore and hind). Nine regions, matching the Beef Board retail chart convention where the loin is shown as short loin and sirloin.
- Best methods:
- braise, smoke then braise
- Slice:
- Usually served on the bone or pulled.
- Rest:
- 15 minutes.
Scores are Pit Log editorial, anchored to FSIS tenderness notes.
What you will see at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-cut shank (osso buco) | braise | probe tender, 200 to 205 F (craft) | FSIS planning: cover with liquid, simmer 2 to 3 hours. |
| Whole shank | smoke then braise | probe tender, 200 to 205 F (craft) | Smoke 3 hours, then braise covered until fork tender. |
Safe. Then done.
145 F (62.8 C), then rest at least 3 minutes before carving or consuming
Steaks, chops and roasts (whole muscle). Food thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, fat and gristle, read before removing from the heat source. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
200 to 205 F, probe tender
Chuck and short ribs follow brisket logic: pull when probe tender, commonly 200 to 205 F. The Beef Board describes chuck short ribs as tender when slow-cooked and brisket as a low-and-slow primal because it is a working muscle.
- Probe where:
- between bones on short ribs; centre of a chuck roast
- Pit:
- 250 to 275 F
- Planning time:
- chuck roast roughly 1.5 hours per pound; plate short ribs 6 to 8 hours at 250 to 275 F. Approximate.
- Stall:
- Same evaporative plateau as brisket, usually shorter.
More on the beef temperature page and the full chart.
Cook it
No Pit Log recipe for this region yet.
- Dutch ovenSmoke-then-braise for shanks, hocks, goat.
- Leave-in probe / wireless thermometerFSIS: use two thermometers, one for the pit air and one for the food. Every low-and-slow page.
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Then write down what happened
Pit temp, wood, wrap, final temp, rest, result. The chart says what usually works. Your log says what worked for you.