Mom’s Sauce

Angela Barra Crocetti

We called her Mom. Her full name was Angela Barra Crocetti. She was my paternal grandmother, and woe betide the individual who addressed her as such. It was Mom. Period. And her husband, Gaetano, well, we called him Pop. That’s just the way it was. Mom was born in Fernwood, Ohio in 1898. My grandfather, Gaetano Crocetti was born in 1894. He left his home town of Montesilvano in the region of Abruzzo, Italy and traveled to Naples in 1913. From there he boarded the Hamburg to sail to the United States of America, arriving at Ellis Island in September. Sponsored by his brothers, he went to live in Steubenville, Ohio, and in 1914 he married Angela Barra. Their firstborn, Guglielmo (William), my father, came into this world in 1916. And his brother Dino followed one year later. Mom was a terrific cook and a terrific grandmother. Uh oh, there’s that word again. She came to visit us, it seems, every day. I remember her driving up in her white Cadillac carrying an impossibly huge buff leather pocketbook. Now that was the treasure chest.

In that purse was always a ready supply of bubble gum for us kids, and we couldn’t wait to get at it. “Look in there kids. There just might be some bubble gum.” She knew what was what. Something else she often carried was food. Food that she had made at her stove in her kitchen and brought special just for us. And she brought it not in Tupperware or any other food container, but in a large flat box from Saks Fifth Avenue. Her food was better than any present from Saks could ever be. As an adult, I understand what those food items meant to my dad, but as a kid, well, it was just darn good stuff. I remember very well her crostoli and her ravioli. Which did I like better? Which ever one she brought. And that’s the truth. Her crostoli were delightful light knots of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar. Oh, we devoured them. You could always tell who had been at the cookies. The guilty party’s hands, face and chest were covered with powdered sugar. On the other hand, I have never tasted ravioli like hers. It was light, and filled with chicken, ricotta and parmigiano. I have tasted a lot of ravioli in my life, and Mom’s stands apart. It was napped with Mom’s Sauce, a sauce unique among sauces. It almost seems like a standard Marinara, except for the pork chop. A pork chop you might ask. When I talk about her sauce that is what every one asks. Yes, a pork chop. You see, Italians love The Pig. Mom was no exception. Her sauce is not a thick pork ragu. It really is a Marinara sauce emboldened with a base note of pork. She used just one chop, browning it as the first step. And because I was the little one I always got to eat it. That’s how it works in Italian families.

Fresh tomatoes good enough for sauce are not available all year. Feel free to use canned tomatoes. Mom did. But buy Italian. There are many good brands of San Marzano tomatoes from which to choose, Fasolino’s, Carmelina and Cento, to name a few. If you do not have an Italian store in your neighborhood, Amazon.com offers a wide selection.

The sauce comes together like most sauces. Well, except for the pork chop, that is. A note to bay leaf novices: be certain to remove and discard the leaves. This step must not be omitted. The leaves can cause choking. Alright, enough with the disclaimer. The ultimate consistency of the sauce depends upon three factors: how finely you chop your tomatoes and vegetables, how long you let the sauce reduce and whether or not you puree the sauce. When this sauce is finished cooking it can be somewhat chunky. For a smooth sauce use a blender, food processor or (my favorite) a food mill to puree your sauce.

These days I have taken to using more than one chop. You see I still think I ought to get it. But then so does Bart. So now I throw two in the pot to start. Granted that does change Mom’s sauce a bit. But I don’t think she’d mind. After all, I did marry an Italian.

So here it is. The sauce I grew up with. The sauce into which we all dunked a piece of bread as we walked through the kitchen. The sauce I am delighted to share with you. Enjoy it. Make it your own.

Here's what you will need.

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Chop the onions, carrots, celery, carrots and garlic.

Have ready a large pot of boiling water and a large bowl of ice water. Cut an "X" into the bottom of each tomato.

Plunge tomatoes into boiling water for about 30 secs, or until you see the skins loosen.

Remove tomatoes from the boiling water and put them in the ice water bath to cool briefly.

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Remove and discard tomato skins and set tomatoes aside until all are skinned.

Cut tomatoes in half horizontally

Gently squeeze tomatoes to remove seeds. Put tomatoes in a bowl and set aside

Season the pork chops

Brown pork chops in hot olive oil. When browned remove from pan.

Place onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in pan and gently saute until translucent.

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Add tomatoes and bay leaves.

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Crack some pepper into the sauce and return chops to pan.  Gently simmer until done.

Mom’s Sauce Recipe

2 bone-in pork chops

salt and pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1-3 cloves of garlic, minced

8 pounds tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped* (Roma or San Marzano are traditional)

OR 2 large cans of San Marzano tomatoes, undrained

2 bay leaves

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil into a large heavy-duty pot, and heat over medium-high heat. Add chops to the pot; brown both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chops to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions, celery, carrots, garlic and « teaspoon salt to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.

Return pork chops to the pot. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After 1 hour, or when sauce has thickened, remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Check for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Remove chops from pot and set aside. Puree sauce in blender, food processor or food mill, if desired. Serve over pasta.

* To peel and seed tomatoes: If you are using fresh tomatoes, you must peel and seed them. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Have ready a large bowl filled with ice water. Cut out stem of tomato. Cut an “X” into the blossom end of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes, 4 or 5 at a time into the boiling water for about 30 seconds to loosen the skin. After 30 seconds (or sooner if you see the skin come away) remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and plunge them into the bowl of ice water to cool. Peel and remove skins from tomatoes. Cut each tomato horizontally in half and squeeze gently to remove seeds. Discard seeds and skins. Chop tomatoes coarsely.