Black Pepper, Ground

Ground black pepper is the seasoning most cooks reach for without thinking, which is reason enough to care what is in the jar. This one smells sharp and resinous the moment the lid comes off, with a woody edge and a faint citrus note underneath. On the tongue it is hot but not scorching, and the heat arrives late, after the flavor. Ground fine enough to disappear into a sauce, coarse enough to read as flecks on a fried egg.

Use it on steak, pork chops and chicken thighs before they hit the pan. Stir it into cream sauces, cacio e pepe, gravy and mushroom soup. It belongs in a pot of beans, in meatballs, in a dry rub with brown sugar and paprika, and in a vinaigrette where it cuts the oil. Crack it over ripe strawberries or sliced tomatoes if you want a small surprise. A quarter teaspoon seasons a pan of eggs for two. Half a teaspoon is right for a pound of ground meat. For long-simmered dishes, add half at the start and the rest in the last few minutes, since the aroma fades with heat.

Keep the jar closed, dry and away from the stovetop. Heat and steam dull ground pepper faster than time does. A cupboard shelf or a drawer works better than a rack above the range.

• 1.5 oz (43g): a small jar for occasional cooks, a second kitchen, or a spot in a travel kit
• 16.5 oz (468g): refills a countertop shaker for months of daily cooking
• 63 oz (1786g): for restaurant lines, bakeries, caterers and anyone making rubs or sausage in quantity
• Decant from the large jars into a small shaker so the bulk stays sealed
• Label the shaker with the date you filled it and taste before refilling

If pepper goes into nearly everything you cook, the medium jar is the sensible default. Buy the small one first if you want to taste it before committing rack space.