Tuscan Braised Pork Chops

An aromatic sofrito flavors the pork chops. The sofrito then becomes the base for a tasty pasta sauce. The chops are served with pasta, the sauce and a robust green vegetable such as spinach or escarole. Correction: Soffrito is the correct spelling for this Italian mixture of aromatic vegetables, which is more often know by the French name, mirepoix. Sofrito is a slightly different Caribbean-Spanish mixture used for similar purposes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 -3  lbs  pork chops (4 thick ones)
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup white wine (may be used) or 1⁄2 cup water (may be used) or 1⁄2 cup broth (may be used)
• 8  ounces tomato sauce

• The vegetables

• 2  medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2  stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 4  garlic cloves, finely chopped

• The seasonings

• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (edited per SugarPea's comment)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon basil

Directions

1. Wipe the chops with a damp paper towel and dry them.
2. Brown the chops in 1/4 cup of the oil at medium/high heat in a large skillet.
3. Remove the chops and set aside.
4. Add the vegetables and the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to the pan.
5. Caramelize the vegetables at medium heat (this is the sofrito).
6. Return the chops to the pan and spoon some of the sofrito over them.
7. Add the seasonings and wine.
8. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
9. Add a little water from time to time to prevent the pan from boiling dry.
10. Add the tomato sauce.
11. Cook covered 10 more minutes.
12. Remove the chops and strain the sauce.
13. Drizzle some sauce over the chops.
14. Dress pasta of your choice with the remaining sauce.