This is a Barton Levenson recipe, credited in the China Moon Cookbook by the late Barbara Tropp. These nuts are delicious tossed into a green salad with blue cheese and apples or pears.

Steps

1. Combine the sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Heat a cast-iron or very heavy skillet over high heat, until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add the pecans and toss for 1 minute to bring out the nut oil.
3. Sprinkle nuts with half the spice mixture and toss until the sugar melts, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the spice mixture and continue shaking the pan until the sugar melts and coats the pecans.
4. Immediately turn the pecans out onto a baking sheet. Once they’re cool enough to handle separate the nuts with your fingers.
5. Cool completely before storing in a glass jar, tightly sealed.