Welcome to Thursday, doomsday. Granted that’s if you even made it to Wednesday, without the dinner panic setting in. And if you can’t justify takeaway again or ate the leftovers yourself cold from the fridge, a double emergency.

I’ve had to break up with my butcher. Not only does one fellow on staff furrow at my toddler as though he’s a ruffian, they also don’t stock an adequate amount of burger buns. Gone by 3 p.m. My request to hold a bag: ignored.

The good news is that I have my one fail-safe, truly five-minute dinner. With just one ingredient, no less!

Here it is, courtesy of my best organic-farmer friend (who is totally right in recommending that fattier chops are more easily found at a grocery, not an organic butcher).

INGREDIENTS

• Pork
• Soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

Pop  pork chops into a dish of soy sauce and swish around. Let sit for no longer than 10 minutes or you’ll have ham (almost); marinating is not required. Grill/fry for a couple minutes per side. Delicious.

I usually do asparagus, the amazing picky-eater friendly, two-minute veg, at the same time. (Serve before pork to guarantee it’s eaten!)

And since I’m usually too late for the good bread, I do a fast fried rice (on Tuesdays I cook up loads of rice for this purpose). It takes about three minutes, just the amount the time it takes for the pork juices to settle.

—Melissa, CF‘s lifestyle editor

PS: If you love pork as much as I do, do fry up the fatty bits separately.