Cooking is a hobby of Dr. Gail Linn. Over the years our patients have shared their recipes with Dr. Linn, our staff and other patients. We are posting these recipes online in a special section of our website, called Patient’s Corner, where you can view these recipes and other playful activities.

Basil is used to season the Sunday Sauce with Meatballs.

Sunday Sauce with Meatballs

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 2 (35-ounce) cans plum tomatoes with basil
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, but into thin strips

Meatballs and Ribs:

• 1 pound ground sirloin or lean ground beef, pork, turkey, veal, chicken, or any combination
• 2 eggs
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 3 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound pork spare ribs, trimmed
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, for sauce and ribs

Sauce:

Directions
Strain the plum tomatoes in a colander to extract the juice, breaking the tomatoes apart with your hands.  Discard the pulp and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-heat.  Add 4 cloves garlic, the onion, red pepper and black pepper.  Saute until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add juiced tomatoes, red wine, Parmesan and salt.  Add the tomato paste and the water and stir together over medium heat.  *Cook’s Note: Tomato paste should be added after making meatballs and ribs.

Meatballs:
Put the ground meat in a mixing bowl.  Beat the eggs and add them to the meat along with 6 cloves garlic, the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, Parmesan and milk.  Mis this all together with your hands.  Wet your hands with water and continue to wet them as you pinch meat from the bowl and roll into 2-inch balls.  Roll the balls in the flour.
Heat 1/2-cup of oil in a large skillet.  Add 3 cloves chopped garlic and saute until golden brown.  Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add the meatballs and saute over medium-heat, turning them until they are brown all over.
*Cook’s Note:  As soon as you can pick them up with a fork, they are ready.  You don’t want them to be well done.  If the meatball slides off the fork when you pick it up, it needs to cook a little longer.

Ribs:
Cut the ribs apart and remove the membrane.  Saute them in 1/2-cup oil until very brown and remove.

Return the garlic to the oil and add tomato paste (for the sauce) to the pan; Cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 3 minutes until it softens.  Remove from the heat and add to the sauce.

Add the meatballs and spareribs to the sauce.  Bring to an easy boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours.  Add the basil and simmer for 15 minutes more.  The spareribs should be very tender, falling off the bone and the meatballs should float in the sauce.

Recipes contributed by patients and friends of Potomac Audiology, 240-477-1010.