Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C). Spread the pecans on a sheet pan and toast 6-8 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside to cool, then roughly chop about half and leave the rest as halves.

Fit the chilled crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edges, and chill 15 minutes. Line with parchment, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and par-bake 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake 5 more minutes, just until the bottom looks dry. This is your insurance against a soggy bottom.

Meanwhile, brown the butter: melt it in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling, until it smells nutty and turns golden-amber with brown flecks, 4-6 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and let cool a few minutes.

Whisk the brown sugar into the warm browned butter until smooth, then whisk in the corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, bourbon (if using), and salt until fully combined and glossy. Don't overbeat - you don't want a lot of foam.

Stir the chopped pecans into the filling and pour it into the par-baked crust. Arrange the pecan halves on top in a tidy single layer. Tent the crust edges with foil if they're already deep golden.

Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, until the edges are set and puffed and the center jiggles like set gelatin (an instant-read thermometer in the center reads about 200°F). Start checking at 50 minutes.

Cool the pie completely on a wire rack, at least 3-4 hours, before slicing. This is not optional - the filling finishes setting as it cools. Warm slices back up later if you like.