Thick-Cut Pork Chops with Salsa Verde

A thin chop dries out before it browns, which is why this recipe starts at the counter: ask for chops cut a full 1 1/2 inches thick. That thickness lets you build a deep crust in a cast iron pan and still pull the meat at a rosy 140 F. The salsa verde is Italian in spirit, loud with capers, anchovy and lemon, and it doubles as a pan sauce when it hits the hot drippings. Salt the chops the night before if you can; the surface dries and sears twice as fast.