Chef Daniel Mattern and the wood-burning grill at Cooks County join forces to create magic. Every meal I enjoy at the Mid-City restaurant he runs with Roxana Jullapat, Claudio Blotta and Adria Tennor Blotta yields at least one great dish that benefits from either mesquite or applewood. The latest victory arrived in the form of Pork Porterhouse ($23), a cut that’s gained in popularity, featuring lean, sweet, ham-like meat and cut of backbone that yields especially succulent bites. Mattern wasn’t in the restaurant during my recent dinner with friends, but the results were still outstanding, with a seared pork porterhouse plated on a pool of soft polenta with sautéed spinach and grilled Jimmy Nardello peppers, which were mild, but still provided textural contrast, smoky flavor, and a vivid reminder of summer.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.