Jonathan Gold digs the ‘tour de force’ pork chop at Salt’s Cure

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“It’s just you … and the pork chop.” So says Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold of the 16-ounce sustainably raised chop from Marin Sun Farms on the menu at Salt’s Cure in Hollywood. The pork chop is gently cured, lightly seasoned and slow-cooked, says Gold, to crispy-edged perfection, making it not just the best pork chop in LA. It is a tour de force.

The chefs at Salt’s Cure, Chris Phelps and Zak Walters, were early proponents of the snout-to-tail movement in LA. The pair gained a dedicated following at the original West Hollywood space where the meat joint was housed. Now, the restaurant has moved to Highland Avenue and continues to dish up old favorites from 11 AM till midnight daily: the duck leg confit with oatmeal griddle cakes and blackberry compote, the roasted half-chicken from Gonestraw Farms, the bacon made in house, and the white sausage with poached apples and Anson Mills red peas. (Three cheers for Anson Mills!)

It’s not just meat on the menu. Pescatarians and vegetarians can order the plank-cooked salmon, the seasonal vegetables, the cold tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. Since the portions are not huge, you ought to still have room for dessert. Try a slice of the grapefruit tart, which Gold describes as key lime pie “with a different tang and a lingering bittersweet hint of peel that finishes the rich meal like a kiss.”

Read Gold’s LA Times review of Salt’s Cure and find more of his restaurant recommendations here.

2000 Salt's Cure - Roasted Chicken
The roasted half-chicken on the menu comes from Gonestraw Farms. (Photo courtesy of Salt’s Cure) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Recommendations: The ‘tour de force’ pork chop from Marin Sun Farms. Need we say more? Well, if you insist: try the duck leg confit and oatmeal griddle cakes with blackberry compote, the roasted Gonestraw Farms half-chicken, the white sausage with Anson Mills red peas and poached apples, the roasted asparagus with hard-boiled egg and toasted almonds, the veal segreto in brown butter and the cold tomato soup served with a grilled cheese sandwich. Last but not least: don’t forget the fries.

Location: 1155 Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038 | (323) 465-7258

2000 Salt's Cure - Pretzel Bread w Ale Mustard
Freshly baked pretzel bread with ale mustard and lardo. (Photo courtesy of Salt’s Cure) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
2000 Salt's Cure - Duck Leg & Oatmeal Griddle Cakes w Blackberry Compote
Who says you can’t have it all? Confited duck leg and oatmeal griddle cakes with blackberry compote. (Photo courtesy of Salt’s Cure) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
2000 Salt's Cure - Grapefruit Tart
Be sure to leave room for the grapefruit tart. (Photo courtesy of Salt’s Cure) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)