Clay-Pot Lamb and Fresh Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Snap off both ends of the beans and pull the string down along the edge. Cut the beans into 4 cm pieces, rinse, and drain.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and brown the diced lamb over high heat until it releases and reabsorbs its liquid and the edges are browned.

Add the diced onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion softens. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until its raw smell is gone. Add the grated tomato, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and water, then bring to a boil.

Transfer the lamb and sauce to a clay pot and cover it. Place the pot on the middle rack of a cold oven, set the oven to 190°C / 375°F, and cook for 40 minutes; the clay pot should heat up along with the oven.

Remove the clay pot from the oven and stir the green beans and sliced long green peppers into the sauce. Cover and cook for 35 minutes, then uncover and cook for 10 minutes more. The dish is ready when the beans have turned olive green and are easily pierced with a fork, and the lamb is fork-tender.

Set the clay pot on a dry wooden trivet and let it rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles. Serve with yogurt and rice pilaf.