Lately I've been enamored with The Complete Meat Cookbook By Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly. I used to avoid cooking meat because I thought it was so hard, but the truth is cooking meat is so easy that it's almost a cop out! For example, I got home from work last night at 8pm, and was going to eschew the beautiful butterflied pork chops already thawed-out in the sink for a crappy take-out pizza when I decided that throwing the chops in the broiler would probably take less time than the delivery. Complete Meat recommends pan frying or pan broiling chops over oven broiling because they tend to dry out, but I didn't feel like standing over the stove and the chops were thick-about an inch-so I thought I would just risk it. But what would I put on them? Olive oil? Salt and pepper? (My mom used to dump Lowry's lemon pepper all over everything and I liked it as a kid.) I did have some Stubb's barbecue sauce in the fridge and some old chipoltle-raspberry marinade. Then I remembered the herb rub recipe that I had made weeks ago was sitting in a sealed jar in my spice rack. It was delicious on the pan-fried pork chops I had made with it originally, and I used it last week to cover tenderloin I grilled outside and cut into strips for tacos. There was no time to let the flavors soak into the meat, so I wondered if it would make a difference at all.

The whole process took literally ten minutes (1 for rubbing the herbs on each side and 4.5 minutes broiling on each side approx. 3" from the flame), and since I put a piece of foil on the broiler pan the mess was negligible. The thick chops had no trouble standing up to the dry heat of the broiler, and by adding left over pesto pasta (microwaved) and the dregs of salad from the night before as sides, we had a restaurant-quality meal in the time it would have taken to decide the toppings and dial the telephone.

Here's the recipe, but I swear you'll want to get the book for yourself. I used dried herbs because it's all I had at the time and everything has been delicious. I bet it's even better with fresh. (Note: you may want to use a little less salt if you're sensitive to it. I tend like a lot of salt but this is a little too salty for thin cuts of meat):

Herb Rub for Pork, Lamb or Beef
from The Complete Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly

This flavorful rub can be used on grilled pork chops and grilled pork tenderloin. It's also delicious on grilled lamb chops and rack, shoulder or leg of lamb, and grilled steak.

2 Tbs chopped fresh basil (or 2 tps dried)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)
1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano or (2 tsp dried)
1 Tbs crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
2 Tbs salt
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. If you use dried herbs, the rub will keep at room temperature in a sealed jar for up to 2 months. If it's made with any or all fresh herbs, it will keep, sealed, in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

The Complete Meat Cookbook Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly Who ever thought a reformed vegetarian would be so into a total meat cookbook? I had always prided myself on being a decent cook, but the embarrassing truth of my twenties was that save a couple of Thanksgiving turkeys, I had no earthly idea how to cook meat. And then when I did finally give it a whirl at home, nothing tasted like it comes to you in a restaurant, everything was bland and dry. The Complete Meat Cookbook turned all that around. Not only does it guide you in selecting specific cuts, but it gives you a whole meat anatomy lesson and explains that today's meat is being bred for leanness which makes it less tasty. Aidells and Kelly compensate with simple marinades and brining techniques that they call the "flavor step" to prepare meat for cooking, and then offer a master recipe for each cut. Additional recipes build on that base with both continental and ethnic seasonings and distinct pan sauces. Marinading and brining require a little forethought, but then all you have to do is put the meat to the heat source and your done! So far I've tried the pork tacos al pastor, sauteed filet mignon with artichoke and mushroom ragu, and sauteed pork chops with vermouth and mustard sauce with great results-this book is bound to take its place among staples like the Joy of Cooking and Chez Panisse Vegetables. -jen scoville amazon.com buy The Complete Meat Cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, or Chez Panisse Vegetables.