This dish is made for the fall, when pears are bountiful across the US. It’s also an effortless way to put together a composed salad for a brunch, a lunch or even a meatless supper with a combination of ingredients that is a little surprising…and totally delicious. While you can use poached pears or even grill pear halves just as you would bell peppers, for an elegant meal in minutes, pick a pear variety that tastes best au naturel (see the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight below to get familiar with varieties besides Bartlett). The vinaigrette is great on everything, so if you have extra, enjoy it on steamed veggies or even as a marinade for chicken breasts.
Yields 4 servings
If you love to grill like I do, you probably don’t limit yourself to summer BBQs. Here’s a perfect dish for a crisp fall evening.
Quick kitchen hack: Carving the right way is key with certain cuts of meat, like skirt or flank steak. Whether you see it described as “on the diagonal,” “on a bias” or “against the grain,” it means the same thing—slicing in the direction opposite the meat’s muscle fibers. So, if you’re looking at your steak and the fibers are running vertically from top to bottom, you want to slice horizontally or across from side to side. The reason is simple: This creates a more tender chew.
The acidity of the pineapple salsa works really well with the grilled pork. The salsa gets a flavor boost from aji amarillo, literally translated as “yellow pepper.” Amarillo is a fruity, medium-heat chile that’s popular in South America but rarely seen in US stores. You can buy it in paste form on Amazon—Inca’s Food is a great brand and also makes the terrific but much hotter aji panca.
Yields 6 to 8 servings
Watch T.J. Robinson create one of his favorite culinary hacks—olive oil compound butter with herbs.