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By Root 338 0

CRUST INTIMIDATES SOME PEOPLE IN THE KITCHEN, ESPECIALLY BEGINNERS. WHEN IT COMES TO BAKING, I STRONGLY SUGGEST FOLLOWING RECIPES EXACTLY—MAKING SURE THE BUTTER IS COLD (FREEZE IT AFTER YOU’VE CUBED IT TO ENSURE IT’S AT ITS COLDEST) RESULTS IN A FLAKIER CRUST, FOR EXAMPLE, AS DOES TAKING CARE NOT TO OVERWORK THE DOUGH WHEN GATHERING IT TOGETHER. IF YOU STILL FIND MAKING A CRUST IS NOT YOUR THING— OR YOU SIMPLY DON’T HAVE TIME—REST ASSURED THAT THE CHORIZO FILLING IS DELICIOUS IN A STORE-BOUGHT PIE CRUST, TOO. YOU CAN BUY READYMADE DOUGH, ROLL IT OUT YOURSELF, AND FOLLOW THE SAME DIRECTIONS, OR EVEN EASIER, PURCHASE A PREFORMED FROZEN CRUST. THAW AND BAKE THE CRUST ON ITS OWN UNTIL LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN ACCORDING TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS. ONCE COOL, ADD THE FILLING AND FOLLOW THE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FOR BAKING.

ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH PINEAPPLE GLAZE

SERVES 8

BRINE

½ cup kosher salt

½ cup (packed) light brown sugar

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

4 bay leaves

PORK

1 center-cut boneless pork loin roast (about 3½ pounds)

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons plus

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

⅓ cup dry white wine

1 cup pineapple juice

1 pound pearl onions, peeled

When it comes to pork loins, I am very much in favor of brining. You do have to start a day ahead, but the end result is succulent and juicy.

To brine the pork, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaves, and 2 cups warm water in a large bowl. Stir until the salt dissolves. Add 6 cups cold water. Add the pork (the pork should be submerged in the liquid), cover, and refrigerate overnight.

To cook the pork, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Mix the garlic, the 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary in a small bowl. Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry (discard the brine). Spread the herb mixture over the side of the roast that is not covered with fat.

Heat the remaining ½ teaspoon olive oil in a medium-size heavy sauté pan over high heat. Add the pork, fat side down, and sear for 4 minutes, or until browned. Carefully turn the pork over onto the herb-coated side and sear for another 4 minutes, or until browned. Transfer the pork loin to a 10 x 7 x 2-inch glass baking dish (or any dish where it fits leaving a 1-inch border). Add the wine to the same sauté pan you used to sear the pork, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove the browned bits, for 1 minute, or until almost evaporated. Stir in the pineapple juice and remove from the heat. Pour the mixture over the pork and arrange the pearl onions around the roast.

Roast the pork, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 150°F, about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it stand for 10 minutes. Then cut the pork into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices, and top them with the pearl onions and sauce.

COCHINITA PIBIL

PORK RUBBED IN ACHIOTE AND ORANGE JUICE AND BAKED IN BANANA LEAVES

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 tablespoons annatto paste

½ cup fresh lime juice

1½ cups fresh orange juice

¼ teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons salt

4 pounds pork butt, cut into 2-inch pieces

Two 4- to 5-foot-long banana leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Twelve to sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas

Pickled Onions

The thing I love the most about Mexico is that everything has a story. In this recipe the word pibil comes from a Mayan word for stone-lined pits, used for cooking underground. Today pibil refers to the technique of steaming meat in a sealed dish in the oven. In the Yucatán, where this dish comes from, it is prepared with Seville oranges, which are tart and bitter. These oranges aren’t readily available in other areas, including Baja, so here we add lime juice to give that distinctive kick.

Mix the annatto paste,