Serves 6 to 8
Boneless pork butt is often labeled Boston butt. If you can’t find guajillo chiles, New Mexican chiles may be substituted, although the dish may be spicier. To warm tortillas, place them on a plate, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Keep tortillas covered and serve immediately.

SERVES 6 TO 8
Shell sirloin steak is also known as top butt, butt steak, top sirloin butt, top sirloin steak, and center-cut roast. Spraying the rubbed steaks with oil helps the spices bloom, preventing a raw flavor.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In this recipe, we use a two-stage rub to make the most of a comparatively inexpensive steak, the shell sirloin. We started with a savory rub of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, fish sauce, and tomato paste. This umami-rich rub made the steaks more savory and enhanced juiciness. For the second stage, we made our own coarsely ground rub based on toasted whole spices and dried chiles. By grinding our own spices, instead of using store-bought ground spices, we created a rub with much deeper flavor.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/06/does-poking-meat-during-cooking-cause-moisture-loss/

Serves 4 as a main dish, or 6 as an appetizer
See below for tips on prepping lemon grass. Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes can be substituted for metal skewers. The aluminum pan used for charcoal grilling should be at least 2 3/4 inches deep; you will not need the pan for a gas grill. Note: unless you have a very high-powered gas grill, these skewers will not be as well seared as they would be with charcoal.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In the hands of American cooks, satay often comes out thick and chewy or overly marinated and mealy. To return this dish to its streetwise roots, we sliced beefy-flavored flank steak thinly across the grain and threaded it onto bamboo skewers. To add flavor, we used an aromatic basting sauce consisting of authentic Thai ingredients, rather than the overtenderizing marinade used in many recipes. And to ensure that the quick-cooking beef achieved a burnished exterior, we corralled the coals in an aluminum pan in the center of the grill to bring them closer to the meat.

Serves 4 to 6
Look for salt pork that is roughly 70 percent fat and 30 percent lean meat; leaner salt pork may not render enough fat. If it is difficult to slice, put the salt pork in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Use high-quality imported Pecorino Romano—not the bland domestic cheese labeled “Romano.”

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To create an authentic-tasting version of Pasta All’Amatriciana we needed an alternative to hard-to-find guanciale, or cured pork jowl. Humble salt pork, though an unlikely solution, provided the rich, clean meatiness we were after. To ensure tender bites of pork throughout, we first simmered it in water to gently cook it and render fat, a step that allowed the meat to quickly turn golden once the water evaporated. Finally, to ensure the grated Pecorino Romano didn’t clump in the hot sauce, we first mixed it with a little cooled rendered pork fat. Now the flavor of pork, tomato, chili flake, and Pecorino shine through in each bite.

Serves 4 to 6
If Chinese black vinegar is unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar. If Asian broad-bean chili paste is unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons of Asian chili-garlic paste or Sriracha sauce. Serve with steamed white rice.

Serves 4 to 6
If your pork is enhanced, do not brine it in step 1. Very finely mashed anchovy fillets (rinsed and dried before mashing) can be used instead of anchovy paste.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To produce juicy, well-charred boneless center-cut loin chops on the grill, we used a two-pronged approach. We brined the chops to improve their ability to hold on to juices during cooking, provide seasoning throughout, and increase their tenderness. To ensure we’d get a substantial browned crust before the interior overcooked, we looked to a unique coating of anchovy paste and honey. The anchovies’ amino acids couple with the fructose from honey to rapidly begin the flavorful Maillard browning reaction.

Serves 4 to 6
Make sure to choose ribs that are 4 to 6 inches in length and have at least 1 inch of meat on top of the bone.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Beef short ribs are a meaty cut that can require a lot of time and tending on the grill. We began our short ribs recipe with a simple spice rub and jump-started the process by giving the ribs a pit stop in the oven. In a foil-covered baking dish, the fat rendered off the ribs, and the tough, chewy collagen began to transform into moisture-retaining gelatin. Then we headed out to the grill to complete the cooking while lacquering on one of our flavorful glazes.

SERVES 4 TO 6
If pressed for time, a 1-hour marinade will provide sufficient flavor, but it will not tenderize the meat as well as a longer marinade. Make sure to buy English-style ribs that have at least 1 inch of meat on top of the bone, avoiding ones that have little meat and large bones. Two pounds of boneless short ribs at least 4 inches long and 1 inch thick can be used instead of bone-in ribs. Alternatively, 2 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced Korean-style ribs can be used (no butchering is required; see modified instructions in step 5). For a spicier marinade, add 1/2 teaspoon or more hot red pepper flakes. Serve with steamed rice, kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables), and, if available, a spicy bean paste called gochujang. Traditionally, all these ingredients are wrapped in a lettuce leaf and eaten like a taco.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Butchering the short ribs properly proved to be the most important step in developing our grilled Korean short ribs recipe. Using English-style short ribs (the cut most widely available in markets), we made four slices from each rib, evening them out with a quick pounding. The right marinade was also critical—pear puree turned out to be a key ingredient. The pear balanced the acidity of the rice vinegar, adding sweetness and a fruit flavor.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/03/we-prove-it-fattier-meat-requires-more-salt-for-seasoning/

SERVES 4

Look for chops with a small eye and a large amount of marbling, as these are the best suited to braising. The pork scraps can be removed when straining the sauce in step 4 and served alongside the chops. (They taste great.)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
When braising pork chops, it’s important to avoid lean loin chops that have a tendency to dry out when even slightly overcooked. Instead, begin with a blade chop, which, like other braising cuts, has a larger amount of fat and connective tissue. Trim the chops of excess fat and connective tissue to prevent buckling when cooked, and use those trimmings to build a rich and flavorful braising liquid that can quickly be turned into a tasty sauce for your braised chops.