Lamb

Using stocks in place of water in a recipe gives an added dimension of flavor, so they're well worth making and using if you can. Many of the stocks in this book are described within the recipes, but here is a general method of making a variety of stocks. The key to making good stock is to simmer it very slowly for a long time, with only a few bubbles breaking on top of the pot. Slow-cooked stocks come out clear and full of flavor. The longer you cook a stock, the more intense it gets and the less of it you need in a recipe. Stocks hold up for a few days in the refrigerator or for a long time if well sealed in a freezer. Many cooks freeze stock in ice-cube trays, so they can slip out a few cubes and add it to recipes conveniently. Canned chicken stock can be used if you don't have your own. It's not as good, but it's acceptable. Canned beef stock is not very good, and I wouldn't recommend using it.

When purchasing rack of lamb, ask your butcher to remove the chine bone as well as any excess surface fat and to "french" or clean, the rib bones. To create a really flavorful spice coating for the lamb, Hayden recommends using high-quality coffee and dark, strong Valrhona cocoa. For the salad, Fleming likes to use a spicy Tuscan olive oil to give the vinaigrette an extra kick of flavor.

The chops don't need to marinate long to take on great herby flavor.

Far from being a culinary museum piece, the pressure cooker deserves a place in the 21st-century kitchen. One reason: You can make this hearty Italian meal of incredibly tender lamb with vegetables and saucy beans in about an hour.

Shake up your casserole rotation with a Greek pastitsio. Layers of ziti, meaty tomato sauce fragrant with spices, and silky béchamel come together in this deeply satisfying yet simple meal.

If fresh peas are out of season, look for high-quality frozen brands such as Cascadian Farm.

An easy, elegant entrée that's perfect for a holiday dinner with friends.

The richness of the lamb is balanced by the sweet-tart lemon sauce. To make things easier, ask the butcher to trim the lamb for you.

Luke Meinzen likened cooking these classic half-moon-shaped pies to "herding miniature manatees in a hot-oil sauna." We traded lamb for the mutton and scallions for the wild leeks in these hearty little pastries that have been eaten by Mongolian nomads for centuries.

Il Vino d'Enrico Bernardo, a wine-centric Paris restaurant, features a delicious dish of lamb chops, carrots, and chickpeas with North African spices and black truffles. Skipping the truffles makes it more everyday, but it's still wonderful.

Sweet-tart pomegranate adds intriguing depth to this braise. It can be made with boneless or bone-in meat. If using boneless, buy a half pound less lamb.

Fresh leaves give the classic lamb and mint sauce pairing a new twist. Great with jasmine rice and bok choy.

Okay, so maybe they're more like footballs. You can serve this Mediterranean-influenced dish with a dipping sauce made with Greek yogurt (about a cup), 1 diced cucumber, and a pinch each of parsley, cumin, and salt.

This quickly braised lamb brings a bit of French country straight into your kitchen.

Rack of lamb, a popular restaurant cut, is easy to cook at home. Smaller Australian or New Zealand racks are the perfect size to serve two. Roasting the meat over sliced potatoes enlivens them with savory juices.

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.

Top round, a muscle from the leg, is starting to pop up in supermarkets around the country. (If your market doesn't carry it yet, ask your butcher.) This small, quick-cooking cut has the succulence you'd expect from lamb but is so convenient that you needn't wait for a special occasion or a large gathering to savor it.

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.