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The Turkish pantry

Lamb shank

Lamb shank is a bone-in cut for a patient simmer. In Piti, choose pieces that fit the cooking vessel and continue until the meat loosens easily from the bone.

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Raw bone-in lamb shank. The government reference is specifically fore-shank meat and fat, trimmed to a stated fat thickness; its nutrient weight excludes bone.

Two raw lamb shanks with long exposed bone ends on a cream platter.

Types & forms

Whole shank

A long bone surrounded by meat; check that it fits the vessel without forcing the lid.

Butcher-cut shank

Smaller sections can fit a stew pot. Have the butcher cut the bone and check for fragments.

What to look for when buying

  • Ask whether the cut is fore-shank or hind-shank and compare size, not just the number of pieces. The nutrition reference is fore-shank.
  • Choose plain chilled lamb rather than a pre-seasoned product when following the linked recipe.

Prepare & cook

  • Use the recipe’s gentle simmer rather than treating shank as a quickly fried chop. Keep the liquid and lid arrangement as directed.
  • Test tenderness as well as temperature; the meat should yield as the recipe describes. Remove loose bones and fragments before serving.
  • Keep raw meat and its utensils away from ready-to-eat food. Check whole cuts reach at least 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest; these slow-cooked dishes need further cooking for tenderness, not merely the minimum temperature.

Store it well

  • Keep raw meat in a leak-proof container at 40°F or below, separate from ready-to-eat food. Use whole cuts within 3–5 days; use cubed stew meat within 1–2 days, or freeze. Follow an earlier package date.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator. Refrigerate cooked meat within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F; use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F.

Substitutions depend on the dish

Lamb neck

May suit a slow stew when the recipe permits it, but changes bone shape and edible yield.

Boneless stew meat

Will not provide the same bone-in portion; change the method and amount deliberately rather than matching piece counts.

Nutrition

Raw lamb fore-shank meat and fat, excluding bone [1]

Per 100 g edible portion
NutrientAmount
Energy201 kcal
Protein18.9 g
Total fat13.4 g
Saturated fat5.83 g
Carbohydrate0 g
Dietary fiber0 g
Total sugarsNot reported
Sodium72 mg
Cholesterol72 mg
Calcium11 mg
Iron1.67 mg
Potassium214 mg
Vitamin DNot reported

USDA reference per 100 g of edible raw fore-shank lean and fat, choice grade, trimmed to 1/8-inch outer fat. Excludes bone. Not a universal value for hind-shank, different trimming or cooked Piti. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.

[1] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Lamb, foreshank, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, raw

Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.

At the Turkish table

Our Piti recipe includes butcher-cut lamb shank and neck. Slow cooking softens the meat while the chickpeas and broth develop into a substantial stew.

Cook with Lamb shank

Lamb pieces and chickpeas in golden broth with roasted tomato and green pepper in an earthenware casserole
Kars style

Lamb and Chickpea Stew

Lamb and chickpeas in turmeric broth, finished with tomato and green pepper in an earthenware casserole. This home adaptation follows the Kars lamb-and-chickpea preparation. It is distinct from other regional dishes also called piti. Use oven-safe cookware and protect the table from the hot casserole.