INGREDIENTS

    Meatballs
  • 1 lb ground beef (or a combo of beef & pork)
  • 3 tablespoons dry basil leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups romano cheese (Locatelli is the BEST!)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced, you may also add garlic powder if you like a lot of garlic flavor)
  • 2 eggs (1 more if necessary)
  • 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (more or less depending on how “wet” the meatball mixture feels)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (more or less)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying)

    • Pork Chops

  • 1 lb pork chops (white-meat)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying)
  • 1 garlic clove (minced)
  • 1 pinch salt & pepper

    • Gravy

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion (finely chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 4 (28ounce)cans crushed tomatoes
  • 4 tablespoons dry basil leaves (more or less)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder (more or less)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves (chopped)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Meatballs:.
  2. Combine all dry ingredients.
  3. Combine meat and eggs.
  4. Add all dry ingredients to the meat mixture.
  5. Add more breadcrumbs or eggs if needed.
  6. Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium heat.
  7. Take about 1-2 tablespoons of meatball mixture and roll into balls until all are done.
  8. Put as many meatballs in the frying pan as possible.
  9. Brown on each side. (DO NOT COOK ALL THE WAY THROUGH. They will finish cooking in the sauce).
  10. Drain oil.
  11. Set meatballs aside until ready to add to sauce.
  12. Pork Chops:.
  13. Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat.
  14. Add garlic gloves and cook until translucent.
  15. Add pork chops.
  16. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  17. Brown on both sides. (DO NOT cook all the way through, will finish cooking in the sauce).
  18. Set aside until ready to put in sauce.
  19. Gravy:.
  20. Heat olive oil on low heat in large sauce pot.
  21. Add garlic & onion and cook until soft and translucent.
  22. Add cans of crushed tomatoes.
  23. Add all remaining ingredients except for the FRESH basil.
  24. Add meatballs & pork chops.
  25. Raise the heat to medium-low.
  26. Cover.
  27. Add FRESH basil half an hour before sauce is removed from the heat.
  28. Cook for 4-8 hours. (more is better!).
  29. If sauce starts bubbling, lower the heat.
  30. Keep doing taste tests to see if any more ingredients need to be added to your liking.
  31. When gravy is done, spoon out meatballs and pork chops and serve in a separate platter or large bowl. Enjoy gravy with your favorite pasta. (My selection would be Rigatoni, sprinkled with more romano cheese and a spoonful of ricotta cheese! Yummy!).