What I suggest here—since most of us don’t have access to truly wild mushrooms—is a combination of dried porcini with fresh shiitakes and white (button) mushrooms. Serve this with buttered noodles, a risotto (even Bare-Bones Risotto, page 522, would be great), or crisp bread. Other cuts of meat you can use here: boneless pork shoulder, veal shoulder, or beef chuck or brisket (which will require somewhat longer cooking time).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　1/2 ounce dried porcini

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes, or 3 to 4 pounds bone-in shoulder or neck, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded or reserved for stock, caps sliced

　　1/2 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

　　3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 cup red wine or stock, preferably homemade (pages 160–163)

　　Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Soak the porcini in hot water to cover. Put the olive oil in a large deep skillet or flameproof casserole with a lid and place over medium-high heat. Add the lamb chunks a few at a time, removing them as they brown and seasoning with salt and pepper as they cook. When they are all nicely browned—this will take 15 minutes or so—pour or spoon off the excess fat, then add the shiitakes, button mushrooms, drained porcini (reserve the soaking liquid), and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes, then add the garlic.

　　

Step 2

Two or three minutes later, add the wine, about 1/2 cup of the porcini liquid, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, return the lamb to the pan, turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook at a steady simmer, checking and stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender, about an hour (or 90 minutes at most). (You can prepare the dish to this point and let sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.)

　　

Step 3

Remove the cover; if the mixture is soupy, raise the heat a bit and cook until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve.

　　

Lamb Stew with Vinegar

Step 4

Use a whole head of garlic, separated into cloves, in place of the tablespoon of minced garlic. For the liquid, use 1/2 cup good red wine vinegar mixed with 1/2 cup stock. All else remains the same.

　　

Lamb Stew with Mushrooms and Olives

Step 5

Steps 1 and 2 remain the same. As the lamb draws close to tenderness, add 1/2 pound good-quality black or green olives, or a mixture (pitted or not, your choice), and finish the cooking with them in the pot.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.