I had to travel to Iowa unexpectedly last week to attend the funeral of a dear uncle who left this earth far too soon. Thankfully, my two Italian men volunteered to help me out with this week’s column by choosing the recipe and producing the photo shoot in my absence.

My gratitude for this show of love is deep, and I hope I can do justice to the fun they had making this family favorite: Gio’s Pork Pizzaiola. Originally known as carne pizzaiola, this dish originated in Naples, Italy, the birthplace of pizza. It received the name pizzaiola because of the use of tomatoes and oregano in the sauce, which are also used to make a traditional Neapolitan pizza sauce.