Can karkas mean more than one cut?

Check the confidence note below; low confidence or multi-cut rows are flagged when present.

How do you order steak doneness in South Africa?

In South Africa, medium rare is called "Medium rare". Rare is "Rare" and well done is "Well done".

What should I ask for at a butcher in South Africa?

Ask for "Potjiekos mix, met been, vir die Sondag" when looking for karkas in South Africa.

shank primal · Lithuania

karkas

Q: What is karkas in South Africa?

karkas is the Lithuania retail name for the hind shank, which sits on the shank primal. In South Africa, the same cut is most often labeled potjiekos cut.

Q: What is karkas called in South Africa?

Look for potjiekos cut—mapped to Hind Shank (hind shank).

Q: What primal is karkas from?

Hind Shank is on the shank primal (Rear leg, below the knee joint).

In South Africa, this cut is potjiekos cut.

Close match · Confidence 0.85

Fig. 1 · Rear leg, below the knee joint · shank primal

About this cut

Cross-cut sections of the rear leg bone with surrounding meat. Extremely tough and collagen-rich — produces deeply flavored broth when braised. Classic osso buco cut. One of the most universal braising cuts worldwide.

Primalshank

LocationRear leg, below the knee joint

In South Africapotjiekos cut

What is this cut →Global guide →

How to order steak doneness

Lithuania → South Africa

rare	Su krauju	→	Rare	48–55°C
medium rare	Vidutiniškai nekeptas	→	Medium rare	55–60°C
medium	Vidutiniškai iškeptas	→	Medium	60–65°C
well done	Gerai iškeptas	→	Well done	70–100°C

Doneness terminology varies by country and restaurant. When unsure, describe what you want — e.g., “warm red center” — rather than relying on the name alone.

Detailed explanation

“karkas” in Lithuania maps to canonical hind shank (shank: Rear leg, below the knee joint). In South Africa, look for labels such as potjiekos cut. Cross-cut sections of the rear leg bone with surrounding meat. Extremely tough and collagen-rich — produces deeply flavored broth when braised. Classic osso buco cut. One of the most universal braising cuts worldwide.