MAMA'S EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

MAMA'S EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA image

Yield 9-12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 24

For the fried eggplant:
6 medium eggplants
Kosher salt
4C seasoned breadcrumbs
Locatelli pecorino romano grated cheese
5-6 eggs
1 large brick of Polly-O whole milk mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
For the Sunday gravy:
4 cans of Tuttorosso tomato puree
2 cans of Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes
2 cans of Contadina tomato paste
1 package of 3-way ground beef, pork, and veal
1 package of sweet Italian sausage
1 package of braciole (super thin flank steak)
1 package boneless pork spare ribs
2 sticks of Hormel pepperoni
4C seasoned bread crumbs
Locatelli pecorino romano grated cheese
2-3 eggs
Polaner minced garlic
Italian flat leaf parsley
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Steps:

My instructions exceed the character count by 3x, so rather than cut them down until they are unrecognizable, I thought it might be better to include a link to my blog for the full directions and a picture of the dish: http://notinpinebrookanymore.blogspot.com/2011/05/mammas-eggplant-parmigiana.html The one thing I will include here is this: Most people who think they don't like eggplant say it's because it's bitter and seedy. That's because it wasn't made right. To avoid that, first peel the eggplants with a vegetable peeler. Then slice them about a 1/2 inch thick. Next, find a big grill pan and start lining it with layers of sliced eggplant. After each layer, give a liberal toss of the kosher salt. Once they're all on there, top it with an upside-down sheet pan and place some cookbooks or a cast-iron pot on top to weigh it down. This is THE most important step, as it will draw out the bitterness and pack down the seeds. If you make this dish, I'd love to hear what you think!