Ingredients
Meatballs
3 lbs ground beef (or any 3 lb combination of meats)
2 cups crushed pork rinds
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 tablespoon basil flakes
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Lots of pepper
Sauce
1 30oz can of tomato sauce
1 30oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 6-8 oz center cut pork chop
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup of dark red wine
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
Fat from the meatballs
Directions
Meatballs
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and drizzle olive oil on a large baking pan
2. Combine and mix all the ingredients in a large bowl
3. Form large balls with the meat and place them on the oiled-up pan
4. Bake meatballs for 30-40 minutes, flipping them over halfway through
5. Save the fat from the meatballs
Sauce
1. In a small pan on high heat, sear each side of the pork chop
2. In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the fat from the meatballs and sauté the garlic for 60 seconds
3. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent
4. Add the seared pork chop, turn the heat to low and add the rest of the ingredients, and the meatballs
5. Simmer the sauce and meatballs for 2 hours, then remove from heat
Useless Information and Photos
These are the actual recipes Nonnie used, with modifications. I didn’t use breadcrumbs in the meatballs, which are second in line (after the meat) for making meatballs taste and feel like they should. I replaced with the pork rinds with garlic and onion powder, etc., but it’s not quite the same.
The sauce called for lard, which isn’t nearly as easy to get as it was back in her day, thanks to market forces reacting to what our government has declared “healthy”—hence the use of the meatball fat. She also added some sugar, which I left out because I don’t think it adds much except calories. And because sugar. The wine and pork add a great dimension of flavor and texture.
These are recipes that seem to taste better a day or more later, after they mingle in the refrigerator overnight. The meatballs are the right size for a light breakfast, for me at least. Yes, I am not above eating a meatball with tomato sauce for breakfast. I don’t even think the standard ethno-national Italians, the fellows with the cornicellos settled firmly in their swarthy chest chair, would go that far, but who knows.
The meatballs run pretty big. See the butter knife for scale:
A very appetizing shot of the fat:
The final product, stewing in the pot:
