Shank.
Fore and hind shanks. Collagen and bone; the Lamb Board: practically melt off the bone when slow cooked.
Lamb shank is done when it is probe tender, usually between 195 and 205 F. The number is a checkpoint. USDA FSIS calls lamb safe at 145 F with a 3 minute rest. Tenderness comes later.
Where it comes from
FSIS planning: cover with liquid and simmer 1.5 to 2 hours. The Lamb Board: braise in simmering broth, 1 to 2 hours per pound, to medium (160 F) as a sliced target, though the point of a shank is to go well past that until it falls from the bone. Smoke first for an hour or two, then braise, and you have the best of both.
USDA FSIS primal: shank/breast. Seven regions, matching the master.
- Best methods:
- braise, smoke then braise
- Slice:
- On the bone.
- Rest:
- Served from the braise.
Scores are Pit Log editorial, anchored to FSIS tenderness notes.
What you will see at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshank | braise | probe tender, 195 to 205 F (craft) | Smaller; one per serving. |
| Hindshank | braise | probe tender, 195 to 205 F (craft) | Meatier. |
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.
195 to 205 F, probe tender
Lamb and goat shoulder, shank and breast are collagen cuts. The American Lamb Board says shoulder benefits from slow cooking to break down connective tissue and shanks practically melt off the bone when slow cooked; FSIS says less tender goat cuts should be braised or stewed. For pulling, backyard convention finishes them probe tender around 195 to 205 F. Goat is very lean, so wrap early and keep the pit gentle.
- Probe where:
- thickest part away from the blade bone
- Pit:
- 225 to 275 F
- Planning time:
- roughly 1.5 hours per pound at 250 F for a bone-in shoulder. American Lamb Board braise guidance for shanks: 1 to 2 hours per pound. Approximate.
- Stall:
- Present on a whole shoulder.
Two sources disagree: american-lamb-board-time-temp: shoulder roast to 145/160/170 F by doneness vs. pulled-shoulder convention 195-205 F. Two different dishes. A sliced roast follows the Lamb Board scale; pulled shoulder follows the tenderness window. State which one the page is describing.
More on the lamb temperature page and the full chart.
Cook it
No Pit Log recipe for this region yet.
- Dutch ovenSmoke-then-braise for shanks, hocks, goat.
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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.