So why Modena? Renowned for balsamic vinegar, Modena also gave us (the lucky lot of us) fast cars (Ferrari) and luscious iterations of pork. Marcella Hazan remarked, "The Modenese touch with pork can't be beaten." She is spot on. I've had the good fortune to visit Modena and enjoy pork in many variations. Each time, the taste was a revelation. Marcella prefaced her recipe for Braised Pork Chops with Sage and Tomatoes by saying, "This recipe is one of the simplest and tastiest ways of doing pork chops I've ever found." Again, spot on.