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Pork chops can get pretty dried out. This recipe fixes that age-old problem. It's also a great main course for a family-style dinner. Just slice the pork after it's done cooking, place in a serving dish, and then top with the savory mustard sauce. These pork chops make wonderful leftovers and serve as a nice addition to a breakfast or atop a salad for lunch. Perfect Pork Chops also depend on getting the right pork. Pasture-raised pork will contain a healthier mix of fats and vitamin D. Pork also contains high concentrations of thiamine, which is used by all cells to make energy and is particularly important to the brain, and B6, which helps make several key neurotransmitters.

Kosher Status: Meat
Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook: 4 Hours
Rest: 15 Minutes
Total: 4 Hours, 25 Minutes

This version of pad thai, developed by cookbook author and teacher Nancie McDermott, is for those who may not have a wok at home. Instead, the recipe calls for a 12-inch heavy skillet. Note that the skillet can hold only enough ingredients for two people (of course, if you have a wok, you should use it). McDermott's pad thai recipe to serve four , which does require a wok, is reason enough to invest in one (look for a 14-inch carbon-steel model with a flat bottom). 

In Thailand, pad thai is hugely popular, but it's not a dish that's cooked at home. Instead, it is commonly purchased from street vendors, who cook it to order in individual portions. For home cooks on this side of the Pacific, cookbook author Nancie McDermott figured out a way to successfully make a big portion of pad thai, enough to serve four people at once, but it does require a wok (they are inexpensive and last forever; look for a 14-inch flat-bottom carbon-steel wok). If you don't have one, consider making her Pad Thai for Two , which works in a 12-inch heavy, deep skillet. For more on Pad Thai, including ingredient information and McDermott's tips, see Takeout at Home: Pad Thai

Kosher Status: Meat
Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook: 2 Hours, 20 Minutes
Total: 2 1/2 Hours

"Creamy squash and cheese crisps only make you think you're off the diet cliff!" says James Beard award winner Laura Werlin, author of Mac & Cheese, Please! and The All American Cheese and Wine Book.

This is one of the simplest and yet tastiest preparations of eggs I've ever had. One afternoon, a friend and I unexpectedly dropped in on my friend Mario in Trieste. It was lunchtime, and he had a big basket full of fresh eggs he had brought down from the Carso, the high plateau surrounding Trieste. Eggs it was for lunch, served with a bowl of radicchio salad. We were just a few people that day, but this recipe is so very easy to modify for smaller or larger groups.

Just about everyone loves chicken breast. It is one of the most Googled terms in recipe searches. I also love this recipe when it's done with drumsticks. If you decide to do that, make sure to double the wine and increase the cooking time until the chicken is done.

This glaze also makes for an addictive tray of chicken wings. Use the same weight and method as for the ribs, but reduce final cooking time by 10 minutes.

If you like, after carving the roast, separate the bones into individual ribs and pop them back in the oven to crisp up. Then fight over them with your guests.

What do you call a ham without a glaze? A travesty. Here, we punch up the traditional boozy version with honey, molasses, and brassy red chiles.

A low, steady simmer is the key to this braise, so keep an eye on the pot.

The tart sweetness of the pomegranate cuts through the richness of the lamb.

English short ribs are cut lengthwise along the bone, so the meat sits on top. With a day or two of notice, any butcher should be able to cut them to order.

Chermoula, a spice and herb sauce popular in Morocco and Tunisia, can be used as a marinade or condiment.

You probably won't have to salt the sauce itself since the clams are so briny; taste right before serving.

Butterflying branzino is a great way to fast-track when cooking a whole fish. Ask your fishmonger to do it for you.

This 30-minute one-skillet dinner is just the thing for an October weeknight.

The flat cut of brisket is leaner than the point cut (or deckle) but still has enough fat to keep it juicy. It will hold its shape better as it cooks, and slices neatly.

Letting the roast sit at room temperature will help it cook more evenly; starting it at a higher temperature jump-starts the browning process.