Oregano

This meltingly tender pork shoulder is the ultimate make-ahead summer dinner party main. A fresh chimichurri-style basil sauce balances the rich pork with bright zesty flavors.

Straining the ricotta will tighten the filling, making it easier to roll. Let it hang out in a sieve while you’re measuring everything else out.

Enchiladas stuffed with richly spiced slow-cooked beef are the ultimate weekend cooking project.

In Argentina, this mix of herbs and spices is combined with oil and vinegar and used as a sauce for grilled meats. For best results, use dried herb leaves—not powdered or ground.

Balsamic-marinated steak cooks over the broccolini and white beans in this sheet-pan dinner, flavoring them with its tasty juices.

This combination of rich, smoky ham, tangy mustard, melty cheese, and ripe tomato is perfect for a lavish breakfast with a fried egg.

The key to grilling large pieces of chicken is patience. Starting with the skin side up reduces flare-ups, and medium heat gives you browned (not blackened) skin and juicy flesh.

Somewhere between a condiment and a side; this would be great spooned right onto a burger.

Barbecue purists may claim that pulled pork has to be smoked in a pit to be the real thing, and we won't quibble with that. But this recipe, prepared right in your kitchen (on the counter, no less), is one deliciously simple variation on the theme.

At Rioja, half of the bacon is replaced with ground fatback, a step that makes this excellent burger even better.

Two racks make enough for each person to have two chops. Cut between each bone individually for single chops, or cut into double-rib portions.

Prep the savory hash and refrigerate in individual ramekins for a quick and 
easy breakfast; just top with an egg and bake.

Feta, Kalamata olives, oregano, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice give this grilled-squash pizza its unmistakably Greek flavor. I use a panini press to grill the slices of yellow squash and zucchini because I love the look and slightly charred flavor this method produces. You can also cook the squash in the oven or on a grill or stove-top grill pan. Grilling the cut face of a lemon half in the same way gives it a beautiful appearance and tones down its acidity a bit.

Prettiest when not piled too high; divide the salad over two platters and put one at each end of the table.

To check if the fish is done, press on the spot right behind the head: If it feels firm and a thin knife inserted there reveals flaky flesh, you're good to go.

Says Chef Yu: "I really love a slightly softer taco filling with lots of toppings for crunch. This is based off a chili verde recipe that my chef used to do for staff meal, with a Mexican/Southeast Asian tinge. The two cultures share so many of the same flavors, it's easy to blend them without making it feel out of place."

If you think mackerel is too fishy, this is the recipe that will change your mind. The fish's assertive, slightly oily character is tempered by the brightness of lemon juice and creamy richness of yogurt.

This is one of the simplest and yet tastiest preparations of eggs I've ever had. One afternoon, a friend and I unexpectedly dropped in on my friend Mario in Trieste. It was lunchtime, and he had a big basket full of fresh eggs he had brought down from the Carso, the high plateau surrounding Trieste. Eggs it was for lunch, served with a bowl of radicchio salad. We were just a few people that day, but this recipe is so very easy to modify for smaller or larger groups.