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LAMB STEW HAS MANY INCARNATIONS in many cuisines, and some of them are very rustic indeed. This red-cooked Chinese rendition, bolstered with unusual dried bean threads, is hardly ordinary. For the most succulent results, look for lamb breast at a Chinese butcher shop. Lacking that, use 1-inch chunks of boneless lamb shoulder or boneless leg of lamb. And when purchasing the dried bean threads, do not confuse them with transparent mung bean threads: look for yellowish dried noodles that resemble bunches of parchment. When fried and soaked, the bean threads have a lovely, slightly chewy-tender texture.

Makes 4 servings

Beijing Lamb Stew

1 pound boneless lamb breast, chopped into 1-inch cubes

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying, plus ¼ cup

2 ounces (about 1 ½ bunches) dried soybean threads

2 scallions, white part only, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces

One 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into pieces ½ inch square and ¼ inch thick

2 small dried hot red chilies

2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry

2 whole star anise

One 1 ½-inch piece of cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup smashed rock sugar

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch-long wedges

6 Chinese dried black mushrooms (about ½ cup), soaked, trimmed, each mushroom cut into 3 pieces

1 cube red fermented bean curd, optional

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the lamb and cook to remove some of the surface fat, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place the lamb on a plate and set it aside.

2. Clean the saucepan, fill it with water, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Keep the water boiling so it is ready for the bean threads.

3. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come about 1 inch up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 325°F. Carefully add the bean threads, and cook until they turn golden-brown, about 10 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer them to a colander to drain. Turn off the heat under the wok. Add the fried bean threads to the boiling water, turn off the heat, and let them soak until softened, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander. Place the bean threads on a cutting board, cut them into 1 ½-inch-long pieces, and set them aside. Discard the oil from the wok.

4. Add ¼ cup oil to a flameproof casserole or Dutch oven and heat over high heat. Add the scallions, ginger, and dried chilies, and stir-fry until they are fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the lamb and stir-fry until the lamb is browned, about 2 ½ minutes. Stir in the rice wine, star anise, and cinnamon stick, then the soy sauce, rock sugar, and 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the wok and simmer at a gentle bubble for 40 minutes. Add the bean threads, cover, and continue simmering for 20 minutes.

5. Add the carrot, mushrooms, and fermented bean curd, if using, to the wok. Mash the bean curd on the side of the wok and stir it into the sauce. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until the lamb and carrots are tender. (The stew can be made up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Scrape off and discard the solidified fat from the surface. Reheat gently before serving.)

6. Skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the sauce. Remove the star anise, cinnamon, and chilies, and serve hot.

SHUN LEE INTRODUCED LAMB to its menu in 1972, and since then other Chinese restaurants have followed suit. Here, tender slices of meat from the lamb leg are bound with scallions and leeks in a spicy, garlicky sauce. Makes 4 servings

Hunan Lamb with Scallions

1 pound boneless leg of lamb, trimmed

1 large egg

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

Vegetable oil, for passing through

¼ cup canned sliced bamboo shoots (cut into thin 1 ½-inch-long strips)

Sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon hot bean paste

Pinch of ground