Name: Old School Italian Meat Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 8 to 12
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; ½ tablespoon dried oregano; 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups); 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes; ⅔ cup beef broth; ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons); salt and ground black pepper; ½ pound ground pork or turkey; ½ pound ground beef; ½ teaspoon cream of tartar; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; 2 tablespoons warm water; ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, slivered; ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; ½ teaspoon Italian herb blend; ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons); 1 pound Italian sausage (chicken, turkey, or pork); 1 teaspoon coconut oil; 1 ½ pounds pork chops (bone in or boneless)

Preparation info

Serves
8 to 12

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
50 min

Appears in

Well Fed 2

By Melissa Joulwan

Published 2013

About

In the Italian households I knew growing up, Saturday was sauce and meatball day: You made the sauce in the afternoon so it could simmer all evening. Meanwhile, on Saturday night, you fried up meatballs and put them on the back porch to cool until they were dropped into the sauce on Sunday morning. In addition to quality tomatoes, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil, a respectable “Sunday Gravy” also included a hefty dose of red wine (both in the sauce and in the cook). But for our good heal