Catalan-Style Shoulder of Lamb with Garlic and White Beans

There is a superb version of cassoulet called en pistache in Catalan, as served in the central Pyrenees. If you like the combination of lamb and garlic—and who doesn’t?—you will adore this dish.

Buy “choice” lamb rather than “prime”; it is less fatty, and lamb fat is not particularly appetizing. The method of cooking the lamb in its own juices with a small quantity of wine and aromatics was devised to bring out the true flavor of the meat. With the dish, pass a small bowl of