Cookbooks

NEW YORK STEAK, also known as strip steak or shell steak, is a tender cut that comes alive on the grill. Mushrooms are the natural choice as a side dish, with balsamic vinegar adding a deep, sweet note to the earthy mushrooms.

WASHINGTON STATE CORN appears in markets in July and doesn’t stop until September. Fresh, sweet corn is truly the taste of summer and takes only a few minutes to prepare. Vegetables are so plentiful in the summertime we always end up with bins of beans and corn, and after weeks of eating corn on the cob I came up with this simple way to celebrate the summer bounty.

This velvety sauce, made with a bottle of red wine and a bottle of port, a sweet fortified wine, enhances any meat it is served with. The wines are reduced with chicken stock for a sauce more intense than the average red wine sauce.

MAKE THIS RICH DISH ON A WINTER’S NIGHT, and for six hours your house will be filled with the wonderful aroma of slow-cooked pork. The longer and slower you cook it, the better it is. The pork has several layers of flavor, including deep orange from the fresh orange juice and marmalade, a kick from the chili powder, and a vinegar tang from the olives. Serve the pork as a pulled-pork sandwich, spooned over Parsnip-Herb Biscuits (page 247), over pasta, or with steamed potatoes.

CUT FROM THE SHORT LOIN SECTION, beef tenderloin is a succulent cut of meat. Grilling adds flavor, and with a sprinkling of dried herbs and an intense red wine sauce, the beef is even more flavorful.

THIS RICH LAMB STEW is perfect for cold winter nights. It leaves out the traditional potato in favor of mushrooms and oregano, which provide a wonderful earthy flavor. A final twist comes in the addition of soy sauce, which intensifies the taste of this satisfying dish.

SO MANY FLAVORFUL CUTS OF PORK ARE AVAILABLE in grocery stores these days that it’s worth looking beyond pork tenderloin and pork chops. Pork blade steaks are long, thin, bone-in steaks cut from the pork shoulder; they’re an unusual cut, but available in most meat departments. Because the steaks can be tough, we created a marinade with a high acid content that breaks down the fibers in the pork, tenderizing the meat. Pork and chutney have a natural affinity, and we particularly like the sweet-hot flavor of Pasta & Co Roasted Tomato Chutney, but feel free to substitute your favorite brand.

COOKING WITH MARMALADE is a great way to add a strong concentration of orange to a dish, and the high sugar content of the marmalade results in beautifully caramelized meat. We prefer to grill these pork chops, but you can pan-fry them as well.

BONELESS PORK SIRLOIN is the natural choice for quick braising because it’s leaner than pork shoulder and is thus a bit more tender, yet it still remains flavorful. In this recipe, the technique and the cut of meat allow you to achieve the richness of braised pork in much less time. This pork makes a great taco or burrito filling and can be the main ingredient in a taco salad. Squeeze a few limes wedges over the pork to brighten the flavors and add a handful of chopped fresh cilantro and a side of rice for a quick trip south of the border.

While it’s great for chicken, this stuffing is also delicious on toast and as a sandwich spread.

BECAUSE FRUIT, VINEGAR, AND MEAT HAVE A NATURAL AFFINITY, this recipe pairs apricot preserves and Dijon mustard to turn an ordinary pork tenderloin into an impressive main course. Served with Three-Grain Risotto (page 65), it makes an easy yet elegant meal.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS ARE EASY TO PREPARE but have a wow factor that will impress your guests (or your family). Earthy kale and savory olive tapenade come together to dress up ordinary chicken.

THIS RECIPE IS AKIN TO A HOMEMADE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN without the hassle. Use the lime marinade below as a base recipe; feel free to add more fresh herbs, other citrus fruit, shallots, or ginger.

HARISSA IS A FIERY MOROCCAN SPICE BLEND made with chili peppers that appears often in Mediterranean cooking. It comes both dried and as a paste, and when we started selling the spice at Pasta & Co we created this dish to celebrate its vibrant flavor. The trick here is pounding the chicken breasts until they are uniformly thin to let the marinade penetrate, which both flavors and tenderizes the meat.

Serve this flavorful gravy over any poultry dish or Turkey Meatloaf (page 111).

WHILE MOST PEOPLE KNOW TURKEY ONLY as sliced cold cuts or a whole roasted bird for Thanksgiving dinner, turkey tenderloins are a versatile, tender cut. The citrus-herb marinade is crucial to both the flavor and the texture of the dish because it helps tenderize the meat and boosts the flavor. Serve this dish with Sausage-Oyster Stuffing, Wild Mushroom Stuffing, or Apple-Pecan Stuffing with Dried Cherries (pages 167–71), and you can enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving all year long.

THIS RECIPE WAS INSPIRED BY TWO DISHES: the French-Canadian poutine and the Swiss raclette. Poutine is a popular dish comprising French fries, gravy, and cheese curds that is sold on the streets of Quebec and in the finest restaurants of Montreal. Raclette is both a hard French cow’s-milk cheese and a Swiss dish prepared by melting thin slices of cheese over broiled potatoes, pickles, and sausage. Our version combines the best of both, with meat, potatoes, green beans, and cheese in one hearty winter dish. Chicken rosemary sausage gives the most flavor to this dish, but pork sausage will work just as well.

THIS MEATLOAF IS DRESSED-UP COMFORT FOOD. Made with ground turkey, chicken sausage, and cheese curds, it’s a healthy dish that might just replace your mom’s recipe as the best meatloaf around. You can use any cheese, but we like using curds because they don’t melt completely, adding texture in every bite, while the cheese curds on the outside of the meatloaf get deliciously caramelized. The leftovers make terrific meatloaf sandwiches.

SLOPPY JOES, THE OLD CHILDHOOD FAVORITE, get a makeover in this weeknight dish. With turkey instead of beef and the addition of corn, cilantro, and jalapeño, this is no ordinary joe. Spoon this flavorful mixture into hamburger buns or warm tortillas for a kid-friendly main course, or try it over rice or in a lettuce cup.