To serve pineapple as a dish by itself, cut a slice from the bottom, then cut the entire pineapple, leaves and all, lengthwise into quarters. Cut out the triangular core of each section.
With the skin side down, use a small knife to separate the fruit from the peel, then cut crosswise to make wedges. Serve the wedges on the skin. Each quarter pineapple makes a serving.
To get pineapple slices, cut off the bottom and the top of the pineapple, stand the pineapple on its bottom, and use a large knife to peel the skin. Lay the peeled fruit on its side, slice it, and cut the core from each slice.