Flank.
Thin and lean. Marinate, grill hot, slice thin, or grind.
Goat flank cooks to the doneness you like, at or above the USDA minimum of 145 F with a 3 minute rest. It is not a low-and-slow cut.
Where it comes from
As lamb flank. On a small goat carcass this is a modest strip, often ground.
USDA FSIS primal: shank/breast (not an FSIS primal). Same seven regions as lamb.
- Best methods:
- grill, grind
- Slice:
- Thin, across the grain.
- Rest:
- 5 minutes.
Scores are Pit Log editorial, anchored to FSIS tenderness notes.
What you will see at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goat flank | grill | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Thin slices across the grain. |
| Ground goat | grill | 160 F (USDA) | 160 F (FSIS). |
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.
160 F (71.1 C)
Ground meat, burgers, sausage mixtures, meat loaf, and organ or variety meats. Food thermometer through the side of a patty to the centre. 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.
Minutes. Approximate.
lamb industry
Chops, rack, leg and roasts. Pull temperature and final temperature after rest. Culinary preference, as published by the industry body cited below.
| Doneness | Pull at | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 135 F | 145 F, rest 3 minutes | At or above the minimum. |
| Medium | 150 F | 160 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well | 160 F | 170 F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: American Lamb Board: pull 10 F below the target because the internal temperature keeps rising.
More on the goat temperature page and the full chart.
Smoke
- Oak: Balanced, clean, dependable. The all-purpose smoke and the Central Texas standard (post oak).
What ruins it
- 01Slicing with the grain.
Cook it
No Pit Log recipe for this region yet.
- Instant-read thermometerThe single tool FSIS says is the only reliable way to know food is safe. Appears on every cut page.
As an Amazon Associate, Pit Log earns from qualifying purchases. We pick these by name and type, checked against Amazon’s own records. Not by what pays best. We show no prices. A price on a page goes stale fast. Checked 2026-09-03.
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.