August · San Diego
Thick pork chops
Pork isn't more in season in August — but stone fruit is, and pork with ripe, charred fruit is one of the oldest pairings there is. A thick chop also cooks in ten minutes, which is the right amount of time to spend at a hot stove in August.
How to choose it
- Bone-in and at least an inch thick — thin chops overcook before they brown
- Pink to light red, not gray
- A good band of white fat along the edge
- Firm and dry on the surface, not sitting in liquid
Buy this much: 2 chops. One for the weekend meal, one for later in the week.
Ask the butcher counter to cut them thick if the case only has thin ones. They will.
During the week
- Sliced and warmed for the charred plate
- Thin slices on fig toast
- Over a rice bowl with jalapeño and lime
On a weekend
Salted early, seared hard, rested, with nectarines charred in the same pan. The weekend meal.
One thing worth learning
Modern pork is safe and juiciest at 140–145°F — slightly pink at the center. Most people cook it to 160°F out of habit, which is why they think pork chops are dry.