Lamb

Like any braised dish, this lamb shanks recipe is better when made one day ahead.

The smoky sauce and mix of spices in this meatball recipe complement lamb perfectly.

This cassoulet is filled to the brim with white beans, lamb, garlic sausage, and smoked sausage (and breadcrumbs), but you can make yours with pork or ham, goat, or duck. Whatever you use, keep the proportions similar to those listed below, and you can’t lose.

If you really want to go all out, you can brown the lamb in a wood-burning oven (erm, if you've got one handy) where it could absorb smoky flavors. For the rest of us mere mortals, that step for this recipe can be done in a hot oven.

Our homage to lahmacun, the Middle Eastern flatbread.

Rib chops can be pricey. This same preparation works well on lamb loin chops, too.

A perfect cube is not essential, but try to get the lamb into roughly the same size pieces so they cook at the same rate.

Though Birrieria Zaragoza uses goat, this deeply spiced braise is equally good with lamb.

This recipe makes excellent use of all those dried herbs in your spice rack; the flavors really hold their own during the cooking process and shine through in every bite.

A full ½ cup of fish sauce goes into this recipe: half into a garlicky marinade and half into a sauce with dried chiles, cilantro stems, and sautéed shallots.

This fresh salad was inspired by the elements of a Passover Seder plate.

This riff on Ireland's national dish comes from famed Irish chef and cookbook author Rachel Allen.

Straining the ricotta will tighten the filling, making it easier to roll. Let it hang out in a sieve while you’re measuring everything else out.

This elegant little dinner of lamb, miso butter–basted potatoes, and honey-glazed carrots is the perfect size for two.

These quick-cooking lamb chops make dinner feel instantly fancy.

This Flintstonian cut is impressive, and the bone lends flavor as the meat braises. But if you prefer, a boneless tied leg of lamb is a little more manageable and cooks more quickly.

This bright, parsley-and-mint–packed sauce is the perfect accompaniment to grilled lamb chops.

(Baha) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. If you really love the taste of lamb, you will love this dish. It's a pity that we Americans know so little about steaming meats; just as steamed vegetables keep their original flavors, so do steamed chickens and lamb. If you don't have a steamer, use a couscousière or a colander with a tight-fitting lid that fits snugly over a kettle. Some people think that steamed lamb looks unattractive (though no one denies that it's incredibly good). If you feel this way you may brown the meat quickly in butter or oil at the end, or roast it at high heat until it browns. Steamed food should be eaten the moment it is ready, when it is at its peak: if left too long, it will dry out.

If I had to choose my all-time favourite family recipe, it would be this.

Wrap a mixture of spiced ground lamb and raw jasmine rice in layers of onion and bake in a low oven until the onions are fragrant and tender.

Splurge on lamb rib chops or save on loin chops; either way you will enjoy this Moroccan-inspired meal. The familiar flavors of an everything bagel make a surprise appearance here to spice a zesty yogurt dip. Harissa paste (available in specialty food stores and many grocery stores) adds a fiery punch to chickpeas simmered with carrots and tomatoes. It can vary greatly in spiciness and saltiness from brand to brand, so add a little at first and taste as you go.