Babylonian Lamb or Beef and Turnip Stew
Translated from a Yale University culinary tablet, this 4000-year-old Babylonian recipe uses beer, lamb, greens, and root vegetables. To create a fragrant, full-flavored stew, we approximated and adjusted ingredients, and we turned to the oven for steady, constant simmering. Lamb is the traditional meat, and we opted to use lamb shanks, as the marrow gives the braising liquid body and richness; we shred the meat after cooking and discard the bones. The culinary tablets revealed that beer was used as a cooking liquid in Mesopotamia, so we developed this dish with a wheat beer for notes of sweetness and fermentation; a lager works, too.
Spiced Lamb Burgers with Feta and Tahini Sauce
These lamb burgers are drizzled with tahini, spiced with sumac, cumin and red pepper flakes, then finished with feta cheese and sandwiched between brioche buns. We played up the Middle Eastern flavor profile by spiking the tahini with Greek yogurt, lemon juice and more sumac, then spread the mixture like mayonnaise on each bun half. If you like, top the burgers with lettuce, tomato and thinly sliced onion.
French Lamb and Vegetable Stew with Tarragon
This French stew, known as navarin d'agneau, is satisfying yet light, thanks to the vegetables that balance the richness of the meat. White wine adds bright acidity, and fennel seed and tarragon bring licorice notes that accentuate the fresh, grassy flavors of the green beans and peas.
Turkish Skillet Kebab with Charred Peppers and Tomatoes
Replace your standard meatloaf with this skillet version of one of our favorite Turkish recipes, tepsi kebabi. Sort of an all-filling meat pizza, it’s a patty of beef, lamb, onions, parsley, and red chilis, baked with tomato sauce in a wood-fired oven. Of tasting it in Turkey, Chris Kimball writes, “The flavors are fresh and in perfect balance. The juices in the pan mix with the tomato sauce to wonderful results. And the bread is the ideal utensil for grabbing mouthfuls of meat and sopping up juices. Deeply satisfying and simple.”
North African Lamb, Chickpea and Bulgur Soup
Chorba frik, a North African soup, was the inspiration for this meal in a bowl. A staple dish during the month of Ramadan, chorba frik typically simmers meat (usually chunks of beef or lamb) with chickpeas and freekeh (green wheat that has been roasted and cracked). For a simple weeknight version, we use quick-cooking ground lamb that has been formed into small meatballs, canned chickpeas and coarse bulgur, which is easier to source than freekeh. We season the lamb with ras el hanout, an aromatic Moroccan spice blend; look for it in well-stocked supermarkets, spice shops or Middle Eastern grocery stores.
No-sear Lamb and Chickpea Stew
Stop searing your stew meat. Not only does it cut down on time (and mess), you’ll get just as much flavor without it. For our no-sear, no-stock stew, based on the Yemeni dish known as maraq, we build layers of flavor, starting with a mix of paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and pepper. The blend does double duty: Half the mixture is rubbed onto the meat and the rest is bloomed in the pot while browning the onion, butter and tomato paste. A whole head of garlic then goes in, along with the lamb, which is simmered in the oven until tender. Once the lid is removed, any bits of meat poking up above the liquid brown under the direct heat of the oven, adding yet another layer of flavor.
Lahmajoun with Lamb Piadine Filling
Made with ground lamb, tomatoes and spices, lahmajoun is a common topping for flatbread in Armenia. A quick herb salad and a drizzle of yogurt offset lahmajoun's richness. For best results, make your own piadina—an easy, super supple skillet flatbread enriched with a combination of yogurt and lard.
Moroccan Lamb Soup with Chickpeas and Lentils
This aromatic Moroccan dish, called harira, traditionally is served during Ramadan to break the daily fast. It's sometimes vegetarian, other times meaty, and depending on the the cook its consistency may be thick and hearty or light and brothy. Ours calls for rich lamb shoulder, flavored with a heady mixture of ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and paprika. Use canned chickpeas if you're short on time.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
And if you're looking for more Milk Street, check out our livestream cooking classes with our favorite chefs, home cooks and friends for global recipes, cooking methods and more.
