This herb-adorned rack of lamb is seared then roasted at high heat for a crispy brown crust.

Few dishes are as satisfying, inviting, and uncomplicated as a well-roasted lemon and herb chicken.

Brining turkeys has become de rigueur in many American households—this recipe shows you how it’s done. Get the recipe for Brined and Roasted Turkey »

Roast chicken is a classic dish all over the world. In this beautiful version from Spain, the bird is rubbed with musky, floral saffron and stuffed with bright lemons and fresh rosemary before being popped in the oven. Get the recipe for Roast Chicken with Saffron and Lemon »

Pork loin is lean—wrapping it in bacon helps keep it juicy as it grills. Get the recipe for Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Pork Loin »

This soup draws flavor from alcaparrado, a mix of pimento-stuffed olives and capers, and sweetness from raisins and along with the medianoche, makes a hearty Cuban-inspired meal.

Fred Morin and Dave McMillan of Joe Beef in Montreal cook a mix of birds over flames and embers, using hooks and chains to suspend and rotate them (different-size birds will cook at different speeds). “The spin, the way the fat drips down, all combines to make a wonderfully burnished bird,” says McMillan. Ambitious home cooks can hang birds using twine or wire over a backyard fire, or simply roast birds on a rack set in a roasting pan in the (indoor) oven. Get the recipe for Fire-Roasted Duck and Pheasant with Red Currant Jelly »

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If you can properly roast a chicken, you can cook almost anything.

Ask the butcher to french (strip the skin and fat from) the ribs on the roast for a fancier presentation. Get the recipe for Standing Rib Roast »

Pork shoulder is soaked overnight in a citrusy mojo marinade in this Cuban recipe. Get the recipe for Mojo-Marinated Pork Shoulder Roast (Pernil Asado Con Mojo) »

This luscious, Caribbean-inspired preparation for garlicky roast pork works especially well with the cut known as picnic shoulder.

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Fresh uncured ham makes a wonderful holiday roast: It’s a good, big cut for a party, tender and marbled but not fatty. Oranges, with their clean, citrusy spark, are an excellent foil for the pork’s rich taste. See the recipe for Roasted Fresh Ham with Orange Glaze »

A whole pork loin and some rosemary, plus salt, pepper, and oil are all that’s needed for this simple centerpiece dish.

Though Herdwick lamb is not available in this country, a good conventional lamb will do just as well. A light dressing of pan juices and roasted onions complements the tender and juicy lamb shoulder well. Get the recipe for Roast Shoulder of Lamb

Belonging to the family of slow, steam-cooked moghul dishes called dum pukht, this lamb is coated in a spice paste made with saffron, coconut, almonds, and yogurt. This pot roast is typically prepared in a South Asian clay pot called a handi. Get the recipe for Indian-Style Lamb Pot Roast

Simple roast chicken flavored with parsley, lemon, sage, and garlic makes an elegant and impressive meal. Get the recipe for Sara’s Roast Chicken with Sage and Garlic »

This simply-seasoned rack of lamb is roasted to the perfect tenderness. Get the recipe for Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme »

Wrapping pork loin in prosciutto not only keeps the roast especially juicy, but it adds wonderful, salty flavor. Get the recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Roast Pork Loin »

Brushing a simple herb butter over the turkey before and during cooking is a straightforward, time-honored way of achieving great flavor and crisp skin. See the recipe for Herbed Roast Turkey »

A glaze made with apricot and ginger adds a sweet note to salty roasted ham. Get the recipe for Apricot-Ginger Glazed Ham »

This dish of pork loin wrapped in pork belly is wonderfully decadent.

Roasting lamb over a bed of rosemary sprigs lends this Greek classic a smoky, herbal flavor. Get the recipe for Roasted Lamb with Rosemary (Arni me Dendrolivano) »

This dish calls for slow-roasting lamb over okra, green beans, and eggplant until the lamb is tender and the vegetables have absorbed some of its juices. Get the recipe for Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Vegetables (Saneeyeh Bil Fern)

This bistro favorite calls for a rich sauce, made by simmering green olives, herbs, and stock, to accompany roast duck.

With a luscious interior and perfectly crisp crackling, this is everything roast meat should be. Get the recipe for Crispy Roast Pork (Siew Yoke) »

This versatile recipe calls for roasting a leg of lamb with a medley of vegetables, and all ingredients cook in one pan. A few hours later, you have the most succulent roast lamb, and the tomatoes and pan juices become the sauce. Get the recipe for Easy Provençal Lamb

Encrusting whole fish with a salt-and-egg white mixture keeps the fish incredibly moist as it roasts.

For this simple Sicilian Easter dish, cosciotto di agnello con patate, a leg of lamb is roasted over a bed of potatoes. Get the recipe for Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes »

Fill pork loin with a basil-scented quinoa stuffing made with grapes, pecans, and shallots.

Onions and fennel provide a flavorful base for whole roasted fish. Get the recipe for Whole Roasted Branzino with Fennel and Onions »

The secret to the shimmering roux that tops this classic German roast is a pinch of sugar; it gilds the gravy as it balances the lemon and pickling spices in the dish. Get the recipe for Sauerbraten »

Rubbing the turkey with olive oil and fresh herbs yields a moist, flavorful bird with crisp skin. An apple cider gravy and a dressing of hominy, sausage, and oysters add richness to the festive Thanksgiving centerpiece. Get the recipe for Herb-Roasted Turkey with Hominy, Oyster, and Sausage Dressing »

Juniper berries and caraway seeds give braised pork a floral, woodsy flavor. Wrapping it in bacon keeps the meat moist. Get the recipe for Braised Pork Roast with Root Vegetables (Schweineschmor-braten mit Rübengemüse) »

Babette Hayes shared her recipe for this succulent roast, which is cooked alongside apples and fennel, perfumed with garlic and rosemary, and has a sweet-tart crust from a glaze of red currant jelly and pomegranate molasses. Ask your butcher to partially expose the shank, which you can use as a sort of handle for easier carving. Get the recipe for Roast Leg of Lamb with Apples and Fennel »

Full of fiery chiles and warm spices, the all-purpose seasoning for this dish can be used as a rub on pork, goat, fish, and vegetables, as well as chicken.

In this recipe by chef Christian Delouvrier of Manhattan’s La Mangeoire restaurant, the secret to a perfectly moist bird with bronze, crisp skin is a basting of an umami-rich mixture of soy sauce and butter.

Prime rib is a beloved Omaha steakhouse specialty. One of our favorite versions comes from Piccolo Pete’s, where the meat is rubbed with Italian spices and blasted with high heat to form a flavorful crust. Get the recipe for Piccolo Pete’s Prime Rib »

Celery root brings an earthy dimension to the stuffing for this crisp-skinned bird, which is dressed in a white wine, giblet, and mushroom gravy.