What's cookin'?: Pork Scarpiello

This is something I didn't grow up eating, but my mother did, and she forgot all about it. She started making it again recently, and I LOVE it. It's basically fried boneless pork cutlets, in tomato sauce with bell peppers. It is TO DIE! For some reason I really love how the pork juices flavor the tomato sauce ( like when mom puts pork ribs in the Sunday gravy...omg ).

So here is a really easy recipe for pork scarpiello...or as mom calls it "the pork with the gravy and peppers," she isn't one for remembering recipe titles.

This makes enough for 10 people, because that's how mom cooks: enough for 2 meals for 4 people and leftovers for whoever wants them. (Seriously...it's a lot of food that I usually end up bringing to work.)

You'll need:

Boneless pork cutlets - pounded to 1/8" thickness.
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable, canola or peanut oil, for frying.
Olive oil, for sauce.
Garlic, sliced
2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes, puréed
Salt and pepper to taste plus a pinch of sugar
Fresh basil
5 large bell peppers, sliced into 1" strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet (one you can cover later), dredge pork cutlets in flour and fry until golden, turning once when necessary. When all the pork is cooked, discard frying oil, leaving the browned flour bits in the pan. Add olive oil, heat and then lightly brown garlic. Add tomato purée seasonings and basil, stir to remove brown bits from the bottom of the pan. After about 10 minutes of simmering the sauce, nestle the pork into the sauce, top with sliced peppers, and cover skillet. Cook for about an hour, or until tender.

Serve over rice or angel hair pasta. .....and tell me how much you loved it!!