Start with the pork. This is not a dish you can rescue with butter and garlic if the meat itself is flavorless. Find a farmer who raises pigs on pasture, or a butcher who can tell you where the animal came from. Good pork has a rosy blush, visible marbling, and a sweet, clean smell. It should not be gray. It should not be wet.

Once you have that, the work is nearly done. Bone-in chops sear better than boneless because the bone conducts heat more slowly, protecting the meat closest to it from overcooking. A heavy pan, good heat, and patience will give you a crust that shatters against your teeth. The butter and garlic arrive at the end, building a simple pan sauce while perfuming the kitchen.

This is Tuesday supper at its best. Fifteen minutes of active cooking. A single pan. The kind of meal that makes you wonder why anyone bothers with complications.