Makes 6 servings

5 cups cool water (about 50 degrees)

1/3 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark

1/4 cup honey

3 sprigs fresh rosemary (4 to 5 inches)

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 (4- to 5-lb.) center-cut, bone-in pork rib roast (6 to 8 ribs) with the chine bone removed or cracked

Brine the pork: In a large bowl or a 2-quart measuring cup, stir together the water, salt, brown sugar and honey and mix until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Stir in the rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Place the rib roast in a large zip-top plastic bag. (If you don't have a large enough bag, place the pork in a deep bowl.) Add the brine. If using the bag, press out any extra air, seal and set in a deep baking dish to catch any leaks. If using a bowl, add more water if needed to cover the pork and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 18 to 24 hours.

About an hour before roasting, remove the pork from the brine. Let drain and then pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature one hour.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 degrees (300 degrees convection).

Heat a large ovenproof skillet (10 to 12 inches) over medium-high heat. Place the pork roast fat side down in the skillet and cook until the fat is browned, five to eight minutes. Turn the pork roast (tongs and a meat fork are handy here) so it sits fat side up.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pork to a carving board, preferably one with a trough, to rest for 15 minutes.

Carve by slicing down between the rib bones to divide the roast into chops. Drizzle any carving juices over the chops and serve immediately.

Note: To make an Honor Guard Roast of Pork, double the above recipe, including the amount of brine, using two 4- to 5-pound center-cut bone-in pork rib roasts. Have the butcher French the roasts to expose the rib bones. After searing, let the roasts cool enough so that you can handle them and arrange them facing each other with the bones interlaced. Roast as directed, but allow for an additional 10 to 20 minutes of roasting time.

From "All About Roasting," Molly Stevens