Ground Lamb

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Served with rice, this is one of the homely everyday dishes of virtually every Sephardi community. We called them "blehat." In Turkey they call them "yullikas." In the old days people fried the meatballs first, but now you often find them poached in the sauce. Sometimes they are briefly roasted in the oven at high heat to brown them slightly and firm them before stewing.

This satisfying dish, with its great Italian flavors, makes the most of the last-of-the-season eggplant and tomatoes. In place of polenta, the vegetables and lamb can be served over penne, ziti, or rigatoni.

An Indian-spiced burger that's balanced by a cooling raita (yogurt sauce).

Köfte are a street-food favorite in the Middle East. The warm, irresistible flavor of this version comes from a combination of allspice, cinnamon, clove, and Aleppo pepper, a Syrian chile with a mild kick.

Merguez, the spicy lamb sausages of North Africa, are popular throughout France. These nearly labor-free patties are a quick way to re-create them in your kitchen. The sweetness of the raisin couscous contrasts nicely with the meat's deep spice.

Using lamb slashes fat; mixing a milk-soaked pita into the patty keeps it moist.

A savory crust and simple sauce lift this roast into the special-occasion realm.

Ground lamb is a natural choice for a barbecue—its distinctive taste really stands up to the smoke of the grill. These burgers get an extra boost from charmoula, a North African spice mixture.

For burgers with the best texture, blend the meat and seasoning gently, trying not to overwork it, and then shape the mixture into patties.

This speedy version of the long-cooked classic is light and brothy, but it's still substantial and flavorful enough — thanks to lamb, kale, and barley — to be a great winter meal.

Gemma Sanita Sciabica of Modesto, California, writes: "My husband's family produces olive oil, and I'm the company's recipe developer. We often hear from customers who love our oil but complain that they don't have the time to cook. Their comments inspired me to share my favorite recipes, which show just how simple great Italian food can be."

He may be executive chef at London's luxe Conservatory at The Lanesborough, but Paul Gayler knows a thing or two about American cuisine, too. In The Gourmet Burger, he rethinks the barbecue classic using premium and international ingredients. Here, he adds mildly spicy North African flavors.

This would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! The recipe was selected for an international recipe book published in 1951 by the United Nations Organisation. Bobotie is a Cape-Malay creation, and they spice it up even more with cumin, coriander and cloves. A similar dish was known in Europe in the middle ages after the Crusaders had brought turmeric from the East. When our first Dutch settlers arrived, Holland was largely influenced by Italian cooks, and a favorite dish was a hashed meat backed with curried sauce, spiked with red pepper and 'sweetened with blanched almonds.' There are many local variations, but the idea is that the mince should be tender and creamy in texture, which means long, slow cooking. Early cooks added a little tamarind water; lemon rind and juice is a more modern adaptation.

If you have to buy more than the amount of ground lamb needed for this recipe, use the leftover meat to make a juicy lamb burger a day or two later.

Katy Hees of Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes: "Eating local, fresh, organic food is important to me. Lamb is one of my favorite meats, so I'm always trying to think of new ways to prepare it." Here, lamb's classic partner — mint — is incorporated into the burger.

Bobotie The South Africans were way ahead of us: Curried lamb spiked with raisins and apples and framed by a smooth egg custard is our idea of how meatloaf would be if we had to reinvent it. Although tasty on its own, bobotie is ideal when served with a dollop of chutney—mango for a sweet touch or cilantro for an herby, savory note.

With these distinctly Middle Eastern kebabs, the minty coolness of the yogurt sauce offsets the allspice, pepper, and cinnamon in some of the most succulent and juicy meatballs you have ever tasted.