Roast

Five-spice powder is a pungent seasoning mix used widely in Chinese cooking. It is made of equal parts ground cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. For a recipe, see page 650.

One to two hours before baking, remove the ham from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Large cuts of meat are often stuffed after being boned. Here, fresh mint, pistachios, and lemon juice bring Middle Eastern flavors to lamb.

Rack of lamb is truly a special-occasion treat. Usually, you need to order it through a butcher, at the supermarket or in a butcher shop. Ask him to french the bones. He will know what you’re talking about, and you will sound as if you do, too. This means removing excess meat and fat from the bones, which looks nice and makes the chops dainty and neat to eat. It is really important to let the meat rest for 10 minutes before serving (it will finish cooking and reabsorb juices). This time also lets you pull together the final elements of the meal.

You can make this stew 1 day ahead to allow its flavors to mellow and mingle.

After the beef finishes cooking, let it stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before carving. Keep in mind it will continue to cook after it has been removed from the oven.

To make slicing easier and more precise, make the beef a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight.

Use half of this recipe in the burgers and half for the grilled tomato sauce.

To prevent the lentils from becoming too soft as they cool, spread them on a baking sheet.