Can pontiki 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 Lithuania?

In Lithuania, medium rare is called "Vidutiniškai nekeptas". Rare is "Su krauju" and well done is "Gerai iškeptas".

What should I ask for at a butcher in Lithuania?

Ask for "Karkas šaltienai, su kaulu" when looking for pontiki in Lithuania.

What is pontiki in Lithuania?

Q: What is pontiki in Lithuania?

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

Q: What is pontiki called in Lithuania?

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

Q: What primal is pontiki from?

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

Cultural equivalent

has no direct equivalent in Lithuania. Closest: karkas

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.

shank primal · Rear leg, below the knee joint

In Lithuania

karkas

Say this at the butcher

“Karkas šaltienai, su kaulu”

'Shank for Šaltiena, with bone' — the traditional aspic request

What is this cut?·Global guide

How to order steak doneness

Greece → Lithuania

rareΑνίσπαστο→Su krauju48–55°C

medium rareΜισοψημένο→Vidutiniškai nekeptas55–60°C

mediumΜέτριο→Vidutiniškai iškeptas60–65°C

well doneΚαλοψημένο→Gerai iškeptas70–100°C

Traditional Lithuanian cooking defaults to Gerai iškeptas (well done). Vilnius steakhouses have adopted international rare/medium terminology; the 'Su krauju' (with blood) formulation is traditional but now sounds old-fashioned in modern restaurants.

Doneness terminology varies by country and restaurant. When unsure, describe what you want (e.g., “warm red center”).

Detailed explanation

“Ποντίκι” in Greece maps to canonical hind shank (shank: Rear leg, below the knee joint). In Lithuania, look for labels such as karkas. 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.

Keep exploring

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fore shank (shank)uodega (round)

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Other countries & routes

Same canonical cut, different destination markets (deduped URLs).

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This information is for educational purposes only and may vary by region or butcher practices.