This chop was every bit as juicy as it deserved to be, as juicy as it looks here.  I haven’t always been able to accomplish that feat, and never before without immersing chops in a pot of cooked cabbage of some sort along with its liquid.

Smoked pork chops and roasted asparagus [Grüner gebratener Spargel mit Kassler]:  I can’t speak highly enough of this combination, even in concept alone, and this time the execution (by the way, it’s very, very simple meal) was a total success.  Of course, as usual, everything came from the stalls of local fishers and farmers at the Union Square Greenmarket;  everything, that is, except for the olive oil, the salt, pepper, the wine, and the music.

Just as fortunate, it was served on a perfect cool spring evening.

Asparagus time in the US still means only green asparagus time, but I’m not complaining when the vegetable is as good as this one.  As for the smoked pork chops, my local source may be the best of them all.  Thanks John.

• in an oval, low-sided enameled cast iron pan, some butter heated and whole ramp bulbs from Berried Treasures swirled around in it, two smoked loin pork chops from Millport Dairy added, covered with tin foil and kept above a very low flame (just enough to warm them through, as they were already fully-cooked), turning the meat once, then, near the end of their time in the pan, the ramp leaves set aside earlier, now sliced along their length, added, the pork removed, plated, brushed with horseradish jelly from Berkshire Berries, then both the cooked and wilted ramp elements
• large spears of asparagus,  from Stokes Farm, dotted with butter, from Millport Dairy, salted, roasted at 450º for 15 to 20 mins, rolled twice, freshly-mortared black pepper added at the end
• the wine was a simple Austrian white,  GV Grüner Veltliner 2013
• the music was Locatelli