Mom’s Spaghetti and Meatballs #2

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive,

from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In the early 1900’s, my maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island from Palermo, Sicily. This recipe may not be an authentic Italian sauce to some, but it is handed down from my Italian grandmother and then, my first-generation American mom, so to me, this recipe is authentic. I doubt the flavor, color, and aroma will disappoint if you are looking for a traditional Italian American dish. This meal was a Sunday staple when I was growing up, and I tried to bring it into my own household when the kids were home, and now I am handing the recipe down for anyone who is interested. It makes enough to feed a small army so give it a try and maybe you can start some of your own traditions with the warmth this meal brings.

Ingredients

48 to 54 ounces of plain can tomato paste (Contadina is my favorite brand)

36 to 48 ounces of can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

4 to 5 garlic toes (cloves)

1 TBSP dried oregano

2 to 3 bay leaves

1/3 cup of sugar

Salt and pepper

2-4 boneless pork chops, about 1 pound

12 to 18 inches of hot Italian sausage

2 to 2 ½ pounds fresh hamburger, around 80% lean

1 to 1 ½ cups Italian breadcrumbs

1 TBSP dried parsley

Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 TBSP dried onion flakes

Tools

Whisk

Small rubber spatula, it will get stained

Large spoon to stir sauce while cooking

Ladle

Can opener

Large mixing bowl for meatballs

12-quart pot, stainless steel is best, this recipe makes about 10 quarts

8 -quart pot to boil pasta

Steps (Mix Paste and sauce)

Open all the canned items. Scrape the lids if needed.
Dump the large can of sauce or crushed tomatoes into the pot. Use a small amount of water to get all the sauce out of the can and into the pot.
For these next few steps only do one can of paste at a time or it will be a nightmare to mix it up good. Each can of paste will always get 2 ½ cans of cold water.
Use the small spatula to get the paste out of the can and into the pot. Then, fill the can with fresh water, stir to get the remaining paste. Again, for each can of paste add 2 ½ cans of water.
Before moving on, use the whisk to stir the mixture in the pot until the paste is dissolved.
Repeat until all the paste and water are mixed, just do one at a time to make life easier.
Start heating on stove at medium heat, stirring often, scrap bottom to avoid burning.

Steps (Add Spices)

While sauce is heating:
Add 2-3 whole bay leaves
Add 1 TBSP dried oregano. Stir.
Salt like you would salt a plate of food. Stir.
Pepper like you would a plate of food and then a little more…pepper makes the sauce spicy, even bigger effect than the hot sausage. Stir.
Add 1/3 cup of sugar. You can go up to ½ cup if you like it sweeter. Start with 1/3 cup, when it is cooked you can always add more if it is not sweet enough. Stir.
Add 4-5 garlic cloves from a bulb. Just trim off hard ends and peel, then throw in the whole piece. Too much garlic will give the sauce a metal flavor. Stir.
Remember to stir the whole pot every few minutes to keep the sauce from burning to the bottom of the pot.

Steps (add some of the meat)

Do NOT brown any of the meat, you lose too much flavor. After 5 hours in pot all the meat will be completely cooked, no worries.
Add boneless pork chops. Keep them whole but you can trim fat off if there is too much for your taste. When it is all cooked, you can break them into portion sizes if you want.
Add hot Italian sausage, 6-inch pieces or so. Again, you can cut it smaller when ready to serve. Stir.
Do NOT add meatballs until the sauce starts bubbling. Once the sauce starts bubbling, turn it down to lowest setting and it will simmer for the remainder of the cooking time, about five hours. During this phase you only need to stir every 15 to 30 minutes.

Steps (meatballs)

In a large mixing bowl
Add hamburger
Add Italian breadcrumbs, you may add more during mixing. The perfect amount is when you mix it and it does not stick to your hands.
Add 1 TBSP dried Parsley
Add 1 TBSP dried onion flakes
Salt and pepper
Add 1 egg, never more than 1 or it will be chewy
Optional, a very, very small pinch of parmesan cheese. It is a strong flavor; I no longer do this.
Mix it all together with your clean bare hands.
Make meatballs a little bigger than a golf ball. It makes about 28 meatballs.
Stir sauce and wait until the simmer phase.
Do NOT brown the meatballs. Drop them directly into the pot.

Steps (Cook)

Simmer for about 5 hours, stir about every 15 to 30 minutes. No lid.
Test the sauce by placing a spoonful on a clean plate and watch for about 30 seconds. If you see a lot of water spread away from the sauce, keep cooking a little more. Also, taste now, you could add more sugar or pepper depending on your taste.
It is safe to store in fridge for about 5 days. I usually split it into plastic containers and freeze on day one. That way when you thaw it later, you know it is ok for up to 5 days in fridge.

Please remember to always give thanks and praise to the Creator for all the wonderful gifts He provides!