Pork

This recipe is a good way to use any leftover rice you might have; it can easily be doubled.

Thai chiles are small, fresh red or green chiles, and are very hot. For a milder flavor, remove the seeds. You can substitute 1 fresh serrano chile. The flavors of Southeast Asia were the inspiration for these lean burgers, which are wrapped, Vietnamese-style, in lettuce.

An Old World comfort dish without the work, these pork chops pair nicely with whole-grain noodles and steamed brussels sprouts.

Enjoy a delicious island meal by making your own fragrant jerk seasoning to flavor grilled or broiled pork chops.

While the pork roasts in its herb-enhanced Dijon glaze, you can prepare the brown rice flavored with orange marmalade that accompanies it. Steam some broccoli to serve on the side.

No more dry pork chops! Just “sandwich” the chops between layers of dressing and bake, leaving them tender and moist. Serve with green beans tossed with lemon zest.

Marjoram, an aromatic herb that tastes like a mild version of oregano, is the key ingredient in the rub that makes these grilled pork chops so tasty.

No potluck meal or barbecue is complete without baked beans. These cook for a long time but need very little attention. The result is well worth the wait.

Braising meat in milk is a classic cooking technique in Italy. The milk acts as a tenderizer and creates a beautiful caramelized sauce. This is a perfect dish for the wood-fired oven or cooker because the braising pot is surrounded on all sides by heat and cooks more evenly. When artichokes aren’t in season, use leeks or even Swiss chard in their place.

The Swiss chard in this dish has a slightly bitter flavor that works well with the fragrant fennel and salty olives. The sliced meat is topped with a delicious uncooked Italian sauce thickened with leftover bread and pulverized toasted nuts.

Whether you roast it freeform in the oven or bake it in a loaf pan, meat loaf is certainly an all-time favorite, as, in France, is its cousin the pâté. Since they are so closely related, I consider the one a variation of the other and here are two of my favorites.