Pork

Any leftovers are great added to the Tuscan Rice Salad or for sandwiches.

The actual family Christmas dinner in Great Expectations featured a leg of pork that was pickled, or corned, over a long period. This is our contemporary spice-rubbed version, which takes only about 24 hours. Serve the pork hot with mashed potatoes or cold in sandwiches.

Pipián is an earthy, pureed seed sauce that is traditional in Mexican cooking. Serve this dish with rice to soak up the sauce.

Great for breakfast with eggs and grits.

Nearly everyone has tasted a Spring Roll, as they are served in dim sum houses and Chinese restaurants all over America: But a homemade Spring Roll is a rare treat. The roll should have a crackling crisp skin with a filling of fine shreds of mushroom, barbecued pork, celery, cabbage, and just a touch of bean sprouts. Most restaurant spring rolls are full of bamboo shoots, celery, and bean sprouts; have a chewy or soggy wrapper; and are seldom fried in fresh oil. The wrapping dough is available in most Chinese markets, sold as spring roll wrappers, and should be as thin as possible. There are about ten wrappers per package, although most packages do not indicated how many they contain. Keep the dough covered with a slightly damp cloth as you work with it, to prevent it from drying out.

Pork shoulder bacon may not get quite as crisp as belly bacon, but it has a great taste and a meaty texture. Even if you have a thermometer for your grill, you'll still need an instant-read — the grill thermometer won't register low enough to monitor the cold-smoking.

Here's a simple, richly flavored recipe from Josefina Howard, owner of Rosa Mexicano restaurant in New York.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this flavorful roast with its rich mushroom gravy, the mashed potatoes here and sautéed carrots. A fruity Zinfandel would make a good wine choice.

These superb tacos are from chef Alex Castro at the Old Mexico Grill in Santa Fe.

For an especially quick and easy meal, buy prepared Chinese barbecued pork loin (3/4 pound will be plenty). This pink-tinged meat is available at many Asian supermarkets—or you may even be able to purchase it from your neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Bottled balsamic vinaigrette is a super base for this sauce. Round out the menu with packaged noodles au gratin and steamed baby carrots. Then offer chocolate layer cake from the bakery for dessert.