Our family’s traditional method for preparing pork chops has always been to oven broil them covered with thinly sliced lemons, dots of butter, and brown sugar. It is one of my earliest memories of my mother’s special meals. It’s the way I’ve always prepared them for my family, and it’s the way my daughters prepare them to this day.
So here I am, on the eve of my 7th decade, braising pork chops for the first time in my life. The simple and straight-forward flavor profile is sage and tomatoes.

The nice thick 3/4″ chops are lightly floured and then cooked in a saute pan with butter, oil, & sage until they are a deep rich brown on both sides.

Salt, pepper and tomatoes are added and the heat is turned to a slow simmer. The pan is covered with the lid slighty ajar and cooking continues for at least an hour, or until the meat feels tender to the fork.
The chops are then transferred to a warm platter and topped with the pan sauce.

We rounded out the meal with a fresh green salad and broiled sweet potatoes.

I enjoyed this novelty of preparing pork chops Modena style. They were very tasty and tender. I can find no fault with our enjoyment of the dish. But, I must admit that it won’t replace my cherished family recipe. It is, after all, sometimes more about the memories that are attached to the dish than the merits of one method over another.
By the way, we had enough for a second meal. They held well for two days in the fridge and I warmed them on the stove with a little extra water.