4 Boneless strip or rib eye steaks, 1 to 1-1/4 inches thick (about 8 ounces each), thoroughly dried with paper towels.
Salt and pepper

1. Heat heavy-bottomed, non-reactive 12-inch skillet over high heat until very hot, 3 minutes. Meanwhile, season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper.

2. Lay steaks in pan, leaving 1/4 inch of space between them; reduce heat to medium high and cook, not moving steaks until well browned, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn steaks and cook 4 minutes more for rare, 5 minutes more for medium-rate, and 6 minutes more for medium. Transfer steaks to large plate, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes while preparing sauce.

Shallot Butter Sauce for Pan Seared Steaks
2 large shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup)
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
1 teaspoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In same skillet used to cook steaks (do not discard accumulated fat), add shallots and cook over low heat until softened, about 1 minute. Turn heat to medium-low, stir in butter, scraping up browned bits in pan bottom with wooden spoon. When butter is just melted, stir in lemon juice and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over steaks and serve immediately.
From America’s Test Kitchens.

1/4 cup green onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons fresh gingerroot, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1-teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 pounds pork tenderloin
1-cup cold water
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Chop onion. Press garlic through press. Finely chop ginger. In medium bowl, combine onions, garlic, ginger, wine, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Add pork tenderloin, turning to coat. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place meat in pan. Reserve marinade. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, for sauce, bring reserved marinade to a boil in saucepan. Cook 1 minute. Slice pork into 1/2-inch slides. Serve with sauce.

1/2 spiral cut smoked ham (about 7 pounds fully cooked)
1/2 cup pear nectar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place ham, cut end down, in a baking pan. Mix the pear nectar and orange juice in a bowl. Bake him in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, basting twice with juice mixture. Mix together the brown sugar and honey in a small bowl. Brush mixture over ham. Bake for about another hour, until internal temperature measure s140 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer. Serve immediately.

Maintaining an even oil temperature is key to the success of this recipe. An instant thermometer with a high upper range is perfect for checking the temperature. A candy/deep-fry thermometer is fine, though it can be clipped to the pot only for the uncovered portion of frying.

1-1/4 cups kosher salt or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons table salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
3 medium heads of garlic, cloves separated
3 bay leaves, crumbled
2 quarts low-fat buttermilk
1 whole chicken (about 3-1/2 pounds), cut into 12 pieces
4 cups all purpose flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3-4 cups refined peanut oil or vegetable shortening

In a large zip lock plastic bag, combine salt, sugar, paprika, garlic cloves and bay leaves. With rubber mallet or flat meat pounder, smash the garlic into salt and spices mixing thoroughly. Pour mixture into a large plastic container or nonreactive stockpot. Add buttermilk and stir until salt is completely dissolved. Immerse chicken, cover with wrap, and refrigerate until fully seasoned, 2-3 hours. Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and shake off excess; place in a single layer on a large wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours. (After 2 hours chicken can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 6 more hours).

Measure flour into a large shallow dish. Beat egg, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. Stir in remaining 1 cup buttermilk (mixture will bubble and foam). Working in batches of 3, drop chicken pieces in flour and shake pan to coat. Shake off excess flour from each piece. Using tongs, dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken pieces with flour and shake off excess and return to wire rack.

Adjust oven rack to middle position, set second wire rack over second rimmed sheet, and place on oven rack; heat oven to 200 degrees. Line large plate with double layer of paper towels. Meanwhile, heat oil (oil should have 2-1/2 inch depth in pan) to 375 degrees over medium-high heat in large 8 quart cast iron Dutch oven with a diameter of about 12 inches. Place half the chicken pieces skin side down in oil, cover, reduce heat to medium and fry until deep golden brown, 6-8 minutes; lift chicken pieces with tongs to check for even browning after 5 minutes; rearrange if some pieces are browning faster than others. Check oil temperature, after 6 minutes of frying oil should be about 325 degrees. Adjust burner if necessary. Turn chicken pieces over and continue to fry, uncovered, until chicken pieces are deep golden brown on second side 6-8 minutes longer. Using tongs, transfer chicken to paper towel lined plate. Let stand 2 minutes to drain. Transfer to rack in warm oven. Replace paper towel lining on plate. Return oil to 375 degrees and fry remaining pieces as above. Cool chicken pieces on wire rack outside oven about 5 minutes then serve.

From America’s Test Kitchens.

1/2 cup ReaLemon
1/2 cup orange juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon each ground ginger and tarragon leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Combine all ingredients except chicken; pour over chicken. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Grill or broil chicken until fully cooked.