In butchery, a cut of meat from a carcass, especially a larger piece suitable for roasting, such as a leg of lamb, a rib of beef, or a shoulder of pork. The size and shape of the joint determine cooking method and time: lean joints need careful roasting to stay moist, while tougher working joints benefit from slow roasting or pot-roasting. As a verb, to joint means to divide a carcass or bird into such pieces, a skilled task requiring knowledge of anatomy to separate muscles cleanly along natural seams. Butchers joint carcasses into primal and retail cuts, balancing customer demand, yield, and value across the whole animal.