Week two in my unorthodox treatment of za'atar continues with this recipe for za'atar-seasoned fried chicken. It's a simple preparation: dip in buttermilk, roll in flour, fry in a cast iron pan. But the flour is doctored with a good dose of za'atar, a blend of salt and sumac and sesame: only thyme breaks up the consonance of the mix. More

Fast and filling, meatloaf can take its traditional place beside a vegetable and a starch, play second fiddle to any summer vegetable you like, or star in dinner-worthy sandwiches on the second day. More

Yogurt is a remarkably effective tenderizer, and when cooked, it causes the meat to brown beautifully while also ensuring it stays tender and moist. And it works: this was some of the juiciest chicken I've eaten in a long time. More

Most of us who buy tongues at the market are used to seeing rounded curves on either end of the organ—not just the tip of the tongue, which is by default curved, but also on the meaty end of the tongue. More or less severed at the back of the mouth, the tongue emerges autonomous like some free-floating agent from the rest of the head. It was only after I began apprenticing at Fleisher's that I noticed the way the organ connects to muscles at the base of the skull. More

Learn more about pork brisket here. [Photographs: Chichi Wang]... More

If you like steak sauce, this is a serious winner. Celebrated Chicago chef Rick Tramonto augments the ketchup base with umami-rich dried shitake mushrooms, soy sauce, dry mustard, and dark brown sugar, plus a few more secret ingredients. The result is round and rich, sweet and tangy, and quite balanced. More

Read more about the sustainability of ground meat here. [Photographs: Chichi Wang]... More

Read more about the sustainability of ground meat here. [Photographs: Chichi Wang] Adapted from Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking by Paula Wolfert.... More

This dish is a monochrome spoof on the traditional steak au poivre. Lamb loin is cooked pink, crusted with pink peppercorns, and served in a reduction of Cognac and cream, blistered with more crushed, popping pink peppercorns. A rose-tinted twist on a classic. More

Learn more about cooking ham hocks here. [Photograph: Chichi Wang]... More