Italian Red Gravy

First off you may notice that there are many ingredients that have no measurements associated with them. Well, this is because this recipe has never been written down. It is one that has been passed down the generations of my family without ever having been transcribed. My mother is the one who taught me how to make this. It took quite a few attempts before I was able to reproduce the essence and flavor my mother had achieved with her "sauce". As you will see, this is NOT a heart-friendly recipe. It is one that I only make on special occasions. Usually during Christmas holiday.

Before we get started, I will explain the seasonings and give you some rules of thumb on the amounts you should be using. First, let's talk basil. Basil is the most forgiving of all the spices used in this dish. My grandmother always said you can never have too much basil. Well, you can use too much, but you get the idea. Basil is good thing. Don't be bashful when using it. The remaining spices take a little practice and feeling to obtain the desired result. Be careful when using too much oregano because the italian seasoning already has oregano in it. As for the sugar, its ONLY purpose is to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. I MEAN PINCH. This isn't Olive Garden....

Speaking of Olive Garden, let's talk cheese. If you want to use that Krap in the green kan you obviously have no taste buds. You really need to find a good imported cheese. Of the parmesan variety, the finest is the cheese produced in provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia in the region of Emilia-Romagna called Parmigiano-Reggiano. For those of you wondering where this is. It's in Italy.... As for romano -- locatelli is our families choice. I realize locating this type of cheese is difficult for many people. All I can say is it definitely makes a difference. Do the best you can. Just remember, if its Kraft, its Krap.

Let's get down to it..... Pour tomatoes into a large pot and crush the whole tomatoes with your hands. This pot must be able to accommodate all of the above ingredients, so make sure it is large enough. Heat to a simmer. In a large skillet add some olive oil and fry the pork chops. Season with a little salt and pepper. Brown evenly on both sides. Place the chops in the tomatoes (they don't have to be fully cooked because they will continue cooking in the sauce). Reserve drippings. In same skillet, add the sausages. Add more oil if necessary. Brown sausages. After about 10 minutes, poke the sausages with a fork to release their juices. Brown a little longer then place into the sauce mixture. In same skillet, add more oil and fry the meatballs. Brown meatballs on all sides. Drain meatballs on a rack then place into sauce.

In the skillet used to fry the meatballs you should have a fair amount of pan drippings. Pour off the drippings into a container and deglaze the pan with some of the sauce or a little broth. Pour into sauce. Using this same skillet pour at least 1/4 cup of the reserved drippings back into pan. Add more olive oil if necessary . In this skillet, add the garlic and saut� briefly. DO NOT OVERCOOK (If the pan is too hot, remove the garlic for a while). Add the chopped onion and saut� until soft. Place the onion/garlic mixture into the sauce.

Now, add the spices and the wine. Bring the tomatoes to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 3-4 hours. After a while, remove pork chops and their bones. Cut chops into pieces and return to sauce. Remove the whole sausages and slice at a diagonal into 3-4 pieces. Return to sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of each cheese and simmer a while longer.

Sometimes I will make this earlier in the morning -- allowing to simmer for a few hours, then I turn it off for a few, then return the sauce to heat just before we eat. The sauce improves with age. The next day it is even better!

Pour over your favorite pasta. Serve with cheese, bread and a salad! Salut!

Recipe taken from StAl's personal archive

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