Make-ahead dishes save time in long run

Cook now to have more time later.

The editors of Cook’s Illustrated have whipped up a stack of recipes that will buy you time to spend with your family on a busy weeknight and give you more time to mingle with guests when you entertain.

“The Best Make-Ahead Recipes” includes more than 300 recipes the test kitchen has perfected so the pasta isn’t mushy and the meat doesn’t taste like sawdust.

It includes the classics, such as macaroni and cheese and lasagna, but that’s just the beginning. There is stromboli that can go from refrigerator to oven, enchiladas that will hold in the freezer, dozens of ideas for overnight marinades, breakfast strata that can be made the day before, soufflé that goes straight from the freezer into the oven, and menus for entertaining and holidays that can be prepared in advance.

Here are two recipes from the book. The first recipe makes enough extra pork tenderloin for leftovers that can be used in the Cheesy Pork Rice and Bean Burritos.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloins with Mango Salsa

From Cook’s Illustrated’s “The Best Make-Ahead Recipes”

If your tenderloins are larger than 1 pound and you have trouble fitting all three into the skillet at once, you can brown them in two batches – just add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the skillet for the second batch. If ripe mangos are not available, use 2 cups frozen mangos, thawed and chopped coarse. Depending on the sweetness of the frozen mango, you might need to season the salsa with sugar to taste.

For the pork:

4 teaspoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons salt

3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), trimmed of silver skin

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the salsa:

2 medium mangos, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Salt and ground black pepper

For the pork: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the cumin, pepper, cocoa, allspice and salt together in a small bowl. Pat the terderloins dry with paper towels and thoroughly rub them with the spice mixture.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Brown the tenderloins on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, about 6 minutes. Transfer the tenderloins to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

Roast the tenderloins in the oven until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer it to a carving board, tent with foil and let rest until the internal temperature registers 150 degrees, about 10 minutes.

To make the recipe below for Cheesy Pork, Rice and Bean Burritos, reserve a 10-ounce piece of the tenderloin and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

For the salsa: Meanwhile, mix all of the salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the tenderloins crosswise into thin slices. Serve, passing the salsa separately.

Yield: 4 servings with leftovers

Approximate nutrition per 6-ounce serving: 270 calories, 8 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 28 percent fat calories), 36 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrate, 101 milligrams cholesterol, 1.8 grams dietary fiber, 656 milligrams sodium.

Cheesy Pork, Rice and Bean Burritos

Garnish with diced avocado and sour cream, if desired. If you don’t have the cooked rice on hand, you can use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, minced

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

Salt and ground black pepper

1 cup cooked rice

10 ounces cooked pork tenderloin, sliced into thin strips (about 2 cups)

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, tomatoes with their juice and water and cook until the beans are softened, about 8 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash the beans lightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the rice in a medium microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, poke holes in the plastic and microwave on high power until hot, about 90 seconds. Stir in the pork, 1 cup of the cheese and cilantro.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray a second large sheet of foil with vegetable oil spray; set aside. Spread one-quarter of the bean mixture across the center of each tortilla, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border at the bottom edge and a 2-inch border at each end. Mount the rice mixture on the beans and fold the tortillas into burritos. Transfer the burritos, seam sides down, to the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and cover with the oiled foil. Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 613 calories, 25 grams fat (13 grams saturated, 38 percent fat calories), 43 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrate, 115 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams dietary fiber, 950 milligrams sodium.