Herb and Mustard-Crusted Rack of Lamb

In the Mediterranean, lamb is what’s eaten in the spring—for Easter, Passover, Norooz, and, if it falls in spring, Eid. It's usually very young lamb that’s eaten, barely weaned if at all, the meat pale pink and mild, with none of the gamy-ness older lamb has.

Crispy Lamb With Cumin, Scallions and Red Chiles

• 30 minutes
• Yield4 servings

Dongbei cai is the food of Northeast China.

Chicken Paillard With Curried Oyster Mushrooms

• 25 minutes
• Yield4 servings

Chicken breasts account for 60 percent of the chicken sold in stores, and about three-quarters of those are the boneless, skinless variety, according to MarketResearch.com. But the food-obsessed often turn to the juicier chicken thigh instead.

Mississippi Roast

An Internet darling of a recipe, a favorite of mom bloggers and Pinterest, Mississippi Roast is traditionally made by placing a chuck roast in a slow cooker and simmering it beneath a stick of butter, a package of ranch dressing mix, another of “au jus” gravy mix and a handful of pepperoncini.

Vaguely Vietnamese Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

6 to 8 servings

This recipe uses a mixture of hoisin and fish sauces as braising liquid, and is a riff on an old Corinne Trang recipe for wok-fried rib tips.

Braised Pork With Red Wine

• Time2 hours
• Yield4 servings 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
• Salt and pepper

Slow-Cooker Cassoulet

• Time 5 to 7 hours
• Yield At least 4 servings 

Many look down their noses at the slow cooker, but it's perfect for some dishes. Stews, for one. This sausage, duck and white bean stew is rich and hearty, and you can leave the dish wholly unattended for five to seven hours as it cooks. Brown the meat before you put it in the pot or not.