Sunday Gravy
Recipe from Brett (Soprano’s Family Cookbook)
Ingredients
2 Tbs olive oil
1 pound meaty spareribs OR pork neck bones
1 pound veal stew meat OR veal shoulder chops
1 pound Italian style plain OR fennel pork sausages
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 (28 oz) cans Italian peeled tomatoes, pureed (thin sauce) OR chopped (thick and chunky)
2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 pound rigatoni, cooked
Directions
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
Pat the pork dry and place pieces in pot. Cook, turning occasionally for about 15 minutes, browning all sides. Remove and set aside.
Brown veal in the same way and add it to the pork. Drain most fat from the pot.
Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until golden. Remove and discard garlic. Stir in tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and water. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
Add pork, veal, sausages and basil and bring to a simmer. Partially cover pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours. Add more water if sauce becomes too thick.
Meatballs
1 pound ground beef OR a combination of beef and pork
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, preferably homemade
2 large eggs
1 tsp garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbs fresh flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
Combine all ingredients except the oil in a large bowl, mix thoroughly. Dampen hands in cool water and lightly shape the mixture into 2” balls—for lasagna or baked ziti, shape them into tiny grape sized balls. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the meatballs and brown them well on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
After 2 hours, add the meatballs and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the meats are very tender. To serve, remove meats from sauce and set aside. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
Serve the meats as secondi or reserve for another day.
Notes
This literally takes all day to make!