Serves 6

At Russell House Tavern, cassoulet, the French bean and meat stew, is made with lamb instead of the more traditional pork and duck confit. That’s because Michael Scelfo is a spokesperson for the American Lamb Board. His rustic dish might include lamb shanks, shoulder blade chops, and ground lamb sausage for its assertiveness. Bacon delivers “the nuggets of fat and intense flavor the dish needs for richness and texture,” says the Cambridge chef. Start the cassoulet two days ahead by soaking the beans the first night. Scelfo recommends serving the dish family-style with crusty bread and the same wine used in the dish, “if you haven’t already finished it off waiting for the cassoulet to cook.”