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Baked Pork Steaks with Madeira, Ham, and Tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Put in the meat and brown the chops for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until lightly colored. Remove and set aside.
Pour out all but 1 tbsp of fat from the pan. Add the onion, cover, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the wine or vermouth, bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture into a bowl and add the remaining seasonings. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put the meat into a shallow roasting pan and cover with the tomatoes and ham. Cover the pan with foil. (At this point you can refrigerate the meat to cook later.)
Put the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes (if you took the pan from the refrigerator, allow an extra 5 minutes here). Remove the foil and bake for 20 to 30 more minutes. After 20 minutes or so, test the pork with an instant-read meat thermometer. Pork steaks should register no more than 150° to 155°F. The fattier country ribs or blade or sirloin chops can be cooked to 155° to 160°F and still retain their juices. Set the pork aside, loosely covered to keep warm.
Remove the vegetables and ham from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce and reduce over high heat until it becomes syrupy. Taste for salt and pepper, stir in the reserved solids, and serve.