This 30 -minute stove dinner is a simplicity of summer peak

In my corner of northern Massachusetts, the strawberry season culminates later that you could expect. While people further south may have already gone to peaches and plums, in June and July, I am still in the heart of the Ruby Red Bays that burst out of the vineyard. This is one of the sweetest stretches of the year, literally and figuratively. I will never say no to classics – shortcake stacked high with whipped cream, hot jam on toast, and of course, berries eaten immediately, heated by the sun and still dusty of the patch.

But I am a tasty girl in my soul, so once I had my filling of candies for the strawberry and I start looking for ways to bring strawberries to the dinner table. This is where this pork chop recipe enters.

This dish has become a staple food in my summer rotation. It is quick to do, uses a single pan and strikes this ideal balance of costs and satisfactory. The pork is seized until it is golden brown and juicy, then put aside while a simple sauce of strawberries, shallots and reduced vinegar until it is brilliant and spatable. Half of the sauce becomes a hot vinaigrette for a copious salad of spinach, basil and sliced ​​shallots; The rest is draped on pork like a frosting. A diffusion of goat cheese and toasted pacan finishes everything with just the right creamy, tangy and crunchy mixture.

And this dish is constantly adaptable. Sometimes I replace the arugula or mustard vegetables with spinach, or I use blue cheese instead of goat cheese. If I feel fanciful, I will throw a few shaved radishes or a handful of cooked farro. But the heart of the dish – the burned pork, the shiny strawberry frosting and the green vegetables that have just slid – always remain the same.

The method is simple, but some technical details make a big difference in flavor and texture. Here’s how everything gets together.

Pork: gold, rested and juicy

Let’s start with the pork. You can use daring or bone -out chops here – whatever you prefer or have at hand – as long as they are about an inch thick. I discovered that this thickness is ideal for developing a good crust in the pan without cook the inside. All slim and eagerly threeding meat when a brown crust forms; Quite thicker, and it will always be insufficient in the center when it is properly golden outside. I use a non -stick or seasoned cast iron pan to minimize the risk that sweet bays burn and stick to the pan. Holding and turning the pan and returning every two minutes guarantees that the meat browns uniformly on both sides. I aim for an internal temperature of 135 to 140 ° F, which results in juicy chops with slightly pink centers after a few minutes of rest.

It is tempting to jump directly in the slicing, but the rest of the meat is essential: let the pork rest while you make the sauce gives it time to slowly increase the temperature while the juices redistribute in the meat. In addition, although the meat rests, you can put this good awful in the pan to work to build the strawberry sauce.

Strawberry sauce: a sweet and salty battle horse

What connects this dish together – both on the plate and in flavor – is the basamic strawberry sauce. It is not only an frosting for pork – it also forms the backbone of a hot vinaigrette that softens and grabs the salad. This double role makes this recipe so consistent and intelligent for summer cooking: a saucepan, a sauce, two distinct but connected elements.

The base of the sauce begins simply, with finely chopped shallots saved in olive oil until it is softened and aromatic. Then come the minced strawberries, a good touch of balsamic vinegar, and just a touch of sugar if your bays need a boost. Vinegar is essential here – not only does it bring a bright to balance the natural sweetness of the fruit, but it also adds a salted depth, preventing the sauce of soft leg and towards complexity.

As the berries decompose, the mixture thickens in something shortened and spurable, not quite a compote or a reduction. You don’t need to pure it – a texture is welcome. The objective is a sauce with enough bodies to hang on to pan -fried pork slices, while being fluid enough to enter a vinaigrette for the Greens. This double -inhabitant movement makes the dish larger than the sum of its parts.

Salad: hot, withered and full of contrast

This is one of my favorite summer salad techniques: Combining hot components with soft green vegetables to just create the right amount of wilting. It fills the gap between cooked and raw, transforming a simple bowl of spinach into something more dynamic and satisfactory.

Here, I whip a spoonful of the strawberry frosting still the chalet with olive oil, salt and finely sliced ​​shallots. This warmth gently softens the shallots while keeping their bite, and it warms the vinaigrette just enough to coax the spinach into a tender lean without turning it soggy. The fresh basil is thrown with the spinach – the heat teases its aroma and completes the softness of the sauce with grassy and plant -based brightness.

To balance the greens and the berries, I add grilled pacans for the crunch and the richness, as well as a diffusion of goat cheese for a creamy flavor. Everything is launched together just before serving, so that the Greens remain vibrant and the cheese holds its shape.

The result is a salad that feels in layers and intentional – sweet and salty, warm and fresh, clear and soft at the same time. It is a side salad that does not look like a reflection afterwards, but an integral part of the plate. And it is just as interesting to eat as to look – fully vibrant color, various textures and contrasting temperatures.

Placing and service suggestions

Once the pork sliced ​​and the salad dressed, it remains to make meals. I like to put a portion of salad on each plate, then avoid the pork slices on the salad, place a little additional strawberry sauce on top and disperse a few last pieces of cheese or nuts as a garnish. It is not a difficult veneer, but it looks like and looks like something special – a summer dinner that draws the best party from what is growing right now, without trying too hard.

So, if you are like me and your strawberry patch always overflows, but your palate wants something tasty, try this recipe. Strawberries do not need to be pigeoned for dessert – they can be the star of the plate, even at dinner.

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