I meant 3 pkg

In my experience, one of the biggest problems with prepared food is that it can be very salty and may also contain ingredients better avoided. The things I've tried at Costco have been no different in that regard but I stopped getting prepared food there long ago and haven't had the lamb shank product.

I don't think lamb shank is all that hard to make from scratch.

If you can find it. Here, I have been searching and haven't been able to.

Braised lamb shanks are one of the easiest dishes to make- they make themselves- very little prep work- plenty of time braising- and that's it. Look up a few recipes and see which flavor profile you like best and give it a try. I am a Marcella Hazan fan myself.

http://hazanessentials.blogspot.com/2011/01/lamb-shanks.html

I prefer to braise my own because then I know what's in them, but I can see them as a good last minute company is gonna show up! thing, and so it is good to know they are an option.

I haven't tried pre-braised lamb shanks myself, but I've had supermarket rotisserie chicken, and man are those things salt bombs! Their ingredient list also is long and semi-undesirable. I'd have to see the lamb shank list.

I bought these as well but they are pricey! Which is why I only bought them once!

Thanks for the heads up. I don't ever buy meat at costco because I almost always buy organic, but I can't find a source near me for organic lamb cuts. I can buy a half or whole lamb from someone near me, but I don't eat red meat often enough to eat that much of it. So I'll take a look at the shanks...and hope the little lambie had a pastured life. :-(

Olychick, my Costco has a lot of grass fed, organic meat. It may come to yours soon.

I've seen that too, more and more stores carry organic and more natural products of all kinds, even Costco. But be cautious and read labels - I've seen individual packages of stuff like ground meat that will say something like "from meat processed in Argentina, Australia, Romania and Costa Rica". I look at that and think - Hmmm, no thanks. By contrast, stores like Whole Foods try to have single, local sources for meat products when possible. Maybe not in all areas but where I am, meat counter items are clearly labeled as to source and much of it is very local.

I've gone full circle on organic/grass fed beef, I went for it for a time but now avoid it. It's lacking in flavor complexity, compared to regular beef. With chicken I think it's the opposite, I think it's much better.

Thanks Rita, I sometimes buy some organic chicken sausages there, but I have a great locally sourced beef supply. I buy organic (but do consider the source - I generally stick with USA grown things and some Canadian produce), not only because it's better for me (I believe) but because it's better for the animals while they are alive (I know I'm a hypocrite to even eat them at all), and for agricultural workers, and for the Earth to not have exposure to the toxins used in non-organic production of food.

You do have to read labels; I stopped buying edamame because I could only find organic that was grown in China. Do I trust their inspection systems...no! I finally found a non gmo USA grown product and recently found that Trader Joe's carries an organic USA grown edamame. Not sure where the rest of those soybeans go, but they aren't sold by any other brand I can find locally.

Well, as I said I would make it from scratch if I could get them here! OTOH, I so rarely purchase premade food and am very health conscious with what I prepare at home. So I don't concern myself with what's wrong with the ingredients of the occasional purchased meal, as long as the flavour meets both our approval.

Ask about it at a local meat counter or two, you might be surprised what's available. Or, maybe not.

I'm sorry, I misunderstood you, Louise, I did not realize you had not found lamb shanks. Definitely ask the butcher. You never know.

Olychick, I was really amazed that grass fed meat at my Costco was from a ranch in Oregon. All lovely cuts of beef. And yes, I do believe it's better to buy meat from animals that have been treated humanely. I used to feel pretty conflicted about my carnivorous tendencies, but have come to accept them.

There is a butcher where I live, Belcampo, they work with ranchers that treat their animals and the environment very well. Sadly, it's a luxury item- though I suspect we should eat only a small amount of meat anyway, so the the high cost of high quality meat would be offset by the Spartan use ... ok, I've gone totally OT.

Louise, thank you so much for the recommendation. I passed it on to my daughter in Texas for their 4 month renovation without a kitchen. She is trying to feed a family of 4 with a microwave in their upstairs while work is being done downstairs. They love lamb, and she found it today at their Costco and will be having it this week, if not tonight.

Yeah, our Costco has organic meats too. The organic ground beef is so good and makes the best burgers!

I bought these yesterday, and we'll try tonight. $4.99/pound, our package was about $13.50. The two shanks are packaged separately and each looks huge. We going to split one and freeze the other for another time.

Louise, thanks for the tip. As someone who hates to cook, I appreciate recommendations.

Although pricey, they would still be cheaper than ordering out at a restaurant. I am sure your friends will enjoy them too.