Hot Sour Salty Sweet | Artisan, 2000 | Serves 3 to 4

Pad Thai literally means “Thai fry,” and it’s the dish many foreigners think of first when they think about Thai food. It’s a satisfying one-dish noodle stir-fry, dry rather than sauced, and full of different isolated flavors that come together in a balance of salty, sour, and sweet. There are salty peanuts, soft pieces of cooked egg, a little succulent pork, and seared pressed tofu, all scattered throughout pan-seared thin rice noodles. Once you have your ingredients prepared, your cooking time is less than six minutes.

If serving guests classic pad Thai from a platter, chopsticks or tongs are easiest for the job. Or invite everyone to use chopsticks to serve themselves. As they eat, guests can flavor their portions as they wish with assorted condiments set out on the table, whether a squeeze of lime, a sprinkling of more chopped peanuts, bean sprouts, and a drizzle of chile-vinegar sauce.–Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

LC Legitimate Long Noodles Note: There are a lot of pad Thai recipes out there. Wait. Let us rephrase that. There are a lot of Americanized, pathetic, imposter pad Thai recipes out there. Not this one. You’ll find no ingredient sham ingredients such as ketchup or peanut butter, nor will you find a sidestepping of classic ingredients including fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind, tofu, salted radish, and dried shrimp. The recipe does cede that those scary-sounding radishes and shrimp are, indeed, optional, and offers a couple very similar substitutions. Any way you make it, this recipe is the closest we’ve found to actual pad Thai during our decades-long quest–and we’ve tried a lot of recipes. One aspect of authenticity not noted in this recipe? The tradition of not breaking the uncooked rice noodles, which come tightly wound in loops and packaged in plastic, as many Asian cultures believe the longer the noodle, the longer one’s potential longevity.

Active time: 35 minutes | Total time: 60 minutes

Classic Pad Thai Recipe

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Diana Henry | Plenty | Mitchell Beazley, 2010 | Serves 8

A roast can seem dauntingly expensive if you’re trying to feed a crowd. But slow-roasted pork shoulder is one of the most satisfying dishes–so tender and, relatively, very cheap. It also looks magnificent. You can vary the stuffing by using dried fruit instead of mushrooms, or add grated Parmesan or wilted spinach.–Diana Henry

LC Back in the Day… Note: Once upon a time, pork roasts came with a lovely gilding of fat, both infused in the meat but also in a pure white layer an inch thick (or more) that was beauteous to behold–and even more beauteous to consume. Savvy home cooks across the land knew that this fat would cushion the underlying pork from the heat of a hot oven and bathe it during the long, slow roasting time required to coax the cheap cut of meat to supple, tender doneness. Then a darkness came over the land and people were afflicted with an obsessive and woefully misguided fear of fat.  Pork was bred to contain less fat, oh horror of horrors, and what fat did remain–ravishing, flavorful layers of fat beneath the skin– was hacked off by butchers who knew customers would shudder at the site of it. The people settled for bland pork that barely resembled its former self. Sadness reigned throughout the land. Strangely, though, the only enforcement for this bizarre behavior? Well, there really was none aside from needless and self-inflicted guilt. The only punishment for disobeying this overriding sentiment? An aromatic, fall-apart tender pork roast with flavor the likes of which most people no longer recall.

This recipe is a relic from back in the day, one that demands–and is best honored by–a proper cut of pork. Yes, a fatty fat fat pork roast can still be found by diligent searching at meat cases and butcher shops. There is no secret handshake or password that assures you the butcher is honorable and will do right by you, aside from taking a look at the pork prior to purchasing it to ensure it still has that stunning white sheath of fatty goodness. As for this tale, it has no ending, not yet. Go write your own. And don’t forget to thank your butcher kindly.

Special equipment: Kitchen string

Active time: 45 minutes | Total time: 3 hours, 30 minutes.

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Stuffed Squash Recipe

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Brigit Binns | The Cook and the Butcher | Weldon Owen, 2011 | Serves 6

In autumn, when the light changes and there’s a briskness in the air, these maple-brined pork chops are my go-to dish for a satisfying meal at home. Adding just a small quantity of maple syrup to the brine gives the meat a hint of sweetness, which shines through when the pork is paired with the sweet-and-savory pear chutney. I like to pour an Oregon Pinot Noir with this dish.–Brigit Binns

LC Deceptively Simple Note: The trickiest aspect of this maple-brined pork chops recipe? Planning ahead 6 hours for them to brine–and then spending said hours doing something other than drifting into a reverie over these subtly sweet, ever so slightly peppery chops. It’s that simple. The pear chutney—all four ingredients–comes together in minutes, and those thick-cut chops practically cook themselves. See how good we make you look?

Active time: 45 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, not including brining.

Maple-Brined Pork Chops Recipe

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Maria Helm Sinskey | Williams-Sonoma Family Meals | Oxmoor, 2009 | Serves 4 to 6

I love T-bone pork chops—also called bone-in center-cut chops—because you get both a little of the loin and a little of the tenderloin. Juicy and aromatic, these Asian-inspired chops go surprisingly well with applesauce. Don’t worry if your kids declare them too exotic before they try them. After just one taste, they’ll be back for more. –Maria Helm Sinskey

LC On the Side Note: We can think of quite a lot of sides that would go quite spectacularly with these subtly flavored five-spiced chops, including the obvious white rice. But really, just like Sinskey, all we crave is some made-from-scratch applesauce with caramely, appley, spicy overtones. Excuse us while we go make some.

Active time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Five-Spice Pork Chops Recipe

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Real Cajun | Clarkson Potter, 2009 | Serves 6 to 8

In my opinion, there are two types of jambalaya—Cajun and Creole. The main difference is that in the Creole version, the rice is cooked in a tomatoey sauce that might include shrimp along with meat and sausage. The Cajun approach is more rustic. Searing and caramelizing the meat and onions individually prior to simmering everything together develops not just color but a deeply browned taste. I prefer the way the chicken and sausage flavor blend into the rice in the Cajun version, creating a dish with a robust meaty flavor. Reducing the chicken stock concentrates the flavor and adds a unique saltiness that you just can’t achieve by adding salt. I call it the MSG effect. (Be sure to add the vegetable trimmings to the chicken stock.) This dish becomes even more flavorful after it sits for a while, and it’s delicious at room temperature.–Donald Link

LC Cajun Cast Iron Note: The only way we can think to improve upon this authentic recipe is to insist, as the recipe already does, that you rely on a cast-iron pan. There’s nothing, not a thing, that we’d change.

Active time: 60 minutes | Total time: 4 hours

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe

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Ghillie James | Jam, Jelly & Relish | Kyle Books, 2011 | Makes 24

These freeze beautifully and can be warmed and packed in aluminum foil as a welcome addition to the usual cold picnic fare.–Ghillie James

LC Fancy This Note: Hearty picnic fare that stands up to travel and appeases the gents as well as the ladies. Fancy that. Er, this.

Active time: 20 minutes
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Total time: 45 minutes

Sausage and Chutney Puffs Recipe

Joe Yonan | Serve Yourself | Ten Speed Press, 2011 | Makes 4 tacos

You’ve done the work to make the Yucatan-Style Slow-Roasted Pork, so now take advantage of its depth of flavor and combine it with a fiery (and I mean that) salsa. –Joe Yonan

Author’s Salsa-at-Your-Disposal Note: This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of the salsa, and a little goes a long way, so you may have some left over. It’ll last for 2 weeks refrigerated in an airtight container, and you can use it on all manner of eggs and meats, and as a salad dressing base, but my favorite use might be to mash a tablespoon or two into the yolks of a half dozen hard-cooked eggs, along with mayo, for a party snack that puts the devil back into deviled eggs, for sure.

Active time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes

Pulled Pork Tacos with Habanero Salsa Recipe

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Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | River Cottage Every Day | Ten Speed Press, 2011 | Makes 1 1/2 pounds

Making and maturing your own “real” chorizo is fun but undeniably a commitment, so here’s the easy version. It’s a highly seasoned mix of coarsely ground pork, which you keep in a tub or plastic container in the fridge and use in a variety of ways. I find the mild heat and smoky flavor of chorizo goes with so many things. You can shape some into mini meatballs or little patties and fry until browned, then chuck into tomato sauces, bean casseroles, vegetables soups, and the like. Or you can fry a couple of handfuls of the mixture, breaking it up with the edge of a wooden spatula as you go until you have a pan of coarse, crisp chorizo crums to scatter over salads, soups, and egg dishes—especially scrambled eggs—or toss with pasta or vegetables, such as broccoli.–Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

LC Let’s Be Clear About One Thing Note: This is not Portuguese chouriço, a smoked sausage traditionally fashioned from pork butt, paprika, garlic, crushed dried red pepper, and a splash of homemade wine in a three-day celebration that takes place twice a year (if we had our way, it would happen each week). This is cheater’s chorizo, a fresh sausage that comes together in less than 10 minutes from pork butt, paprika, garlic, cayenne, and the rest of the wine that’s languishing on your countertop. Its keen ability to keep in the fridge for up to a week means you can use it at it, sprinkling it like pixie dust hither and yon, thinking of it more in terms of an Italian sausage than a proper aged chorizo. Whatever you call it, however you use it, we think you’ll be grateful to have a tub of it in the fridge so you can sizzle it up at a moment’s notice in tandem with sautéed broccoli rabe and potatoes or whatever else you fancy.

Active time: 10 minutesTotal time: 10 minutes, does not include cooking time.

Homemade Chorizo Recipe

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Joe Yonan | Serve Yourself | Ten Speed Press, 2011 | Makes 4 tacos

Of all the recipes in the cookbook I cowrote with Boston chef Andy Husbands, The Fearless Chef, the one for slow-roasted pork is the one I’m asked for the most. Sometimes I serve it simply, with salsa, sour cream, and tortillas on the side, but trust me, this meat can go into all sorts of recipes, including Cochinita Pibil Tacos, AKA pulled pork tacos.

I’ve simplified this recipe a little from Andy’s original version, cutting out a 24-hour marinating step, replacing the traditional banana leaves with good old aluminum foil, and using one of my favorite smoke stand-ins, Spanish pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika), instead of oregano. The pork is spicy and deeply flavored and colored, thanks in no small part to the large quantity of annatto seeds (also called achiote) that goes into the paste. (These little brick-colored pebbles are worth seeking out at good Latin markets or online through such sources as Penzeys.com.)–Joe Yonan

LC Annatto Annotation: Too lazy or hungry to hold out for the annatto? Don’t tell Yonan, but that didn’t stop some of us from making this South-of-the-border-inflected pulled pork.

Active time: 20 minutes Total time: 6 hours

Yucatan-Style Slow Roasted Pork Recipe

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Laurent Tourondel and Charlotte March | Fresh From the Market | Wiley, 2010 | Serves 6

How I love this creamy, tart, and decadent salad. The aged goat cheese has a velvety texture while the prosciutto adds the perfect amount of bite. This might truly be my favorite appetizer, but don’t tell the others. –Laurent Tourondel

LC Playing Favorites Note: Whichever goat cheese and proscuitto you fancy will work just fine here, although we thought you may wish to know that Chef Tourondel relies on goat milk crottin from Blue Ledge Farm in western Vermont and La Quercia brand prosciutto from Iowa (yes, Iowa).

Wine Note: Serve this dish with a Chardonnay that offers flavors of rich lemon, minerals, and a touch of toasty oak, such as Chardonnay, “Scherrer Vineyard,” Scherrer, 2005, Alexander Valley, California.

Active time: 20 minutes Total time: 20 minutes

Prosciutto and Crottin Cheese Salad Recipe

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