Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Small pork chop, bone in (or other leftover meats)
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28-ounce) cans imported Italian crushed tomatoes
6 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper

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Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the pork.

2. Sauté until fat has rendered—about 5 minutes.

3. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.

4. Add garlic and sauté just until softened.

5. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. The longer you simmer it the better it tastes (up to 3 hours)

7. Add the basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.

John's Notes:

• I leave out the oregano since I find the flavor off putting.

• If my grandmother didn't have a pork chop she used any meat such as sausage just to give the sauce some flavor.

• I also add a cleaned large carrot and a couple stalks of celery. You can either toss them at the end of cooking or do like I do, pour the sauce with the carrot and celery (but not the meat) into a blender and pulse until the carrot and celery disappear.  I think this makes a more flavorful sauce.

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