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remove the strings from the lamb, cut into ½-inch-thick slices, and serve with the sauce on the side.

serves 8

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pesto savvy

Not the traditional pesto alla Genovese, with its garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan, this pesto is made with fresh mint, oregano, and garlic. The herb paste not only flavors the meat but also seeps into the sauce.

Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb

This leg of lamb is almost too simple to include, but sometimes the simplest preparations deliver the most extraordinary results. Marinate the lamb overnight in a Zinfandel marinade, then pour everything into the cooker and fire it up! The meat is infused with the flavor of the wine, garlic, and herbs, and the marinade cooks down into a delicious sauce (see savvy) to serve over the meat at the end.

One 3- to 4-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied

4 cups Zinfandel wine

¼ cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

put the lamb in a zipper-top plastic bag. Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl and pour over the lamb in the bag. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

put the marinade in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and tie the lamb at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string or silicone loops. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is tender.

carefully remove the meat from the slow cooker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and remove any fat from the surface. Boil the sauce until reduced by half.

slice the meat and serve with the sauce napped over the lamb.

serves 8

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saucing savvy

If you would like to thicken this sauce, it does well with buerre maine, 1 part unsalted butter and 1 part flour kneaded together and whisked into the boiling liquid.

Lamb Tex-Mex–Style with Pinto Beans

Straight from the Lone Star state, this dish is hearty stick-to-your-ribs fare. I prefer to cut up the leg of lamb, rather than cook it whole with the beans, because the lamb falls apart and mingles with the beans creating lamb-and-bean stew. This makes a terrific supper to serve at a make-your-own-burrito bar with tortillas, shredded cheeses, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

2 cups pinto beans, soaked overnight in water to cover and drained

¼ cup olive oil

3 pounds leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch chunks

½ teaspoon chili powder

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

One 14- to 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juice

1½ cups beef broth

put the beans in the bottom of the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

sprinkle the meat with the chili powder. Add the meat a few pieces at a time to the skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to the slow-cooker insert. Add the onions, chiles, cumin, and oregano to the same skillet and cook until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

add the tomatoes to the skillet and heat, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the cooker and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat and beans are tender.

remove any fat from the top of the stew and serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

Lemon Dijon Leg of Lamb

Tangy Dijon mustard, lemon, oregano, and garlic all contribute to the flavor of this delicious leg of lamb. It is perfect paired with orzo and grilled vegetables.

½ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Grated zest of 2 lemons

6 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One 3- to 4-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied, fat trimmed

1 cup dry white wine

½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

combine