Well I had off from work today for Good Friday and it was a rainy day so I figured I'd make the gravy for Easter today. Some people call it Sunday sauce, meat sauce but my grandma just called it gravy. Have about 25 people coming for Easter Dinner so as rich and hearty this gravy is, it's just one course of many haha. That's how Italians do holidays.
So here are the meats that go into the sauce
Pork spare ribs, hacked into smaller pieces, hot Italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage, and veal stew meat. And meatballs but those come later.These are the things I had in the freezer. You can always use meaty pork neck bones (which I love), cubed chuck instead of veal. Some people use lamb or chicken. All depends on the family. My mom and grandma always had pork, beef and or veal and sausage.
And the sauce ingredients:
First step is to brown all the meat in some olive oil. First the pork ribs:
Then the veal
Then the two kinds of sausage
Put all the browned meat aside:
Throw a mess of whole garlic cloves in the drippings and cook until browned:
Then brown the tomato paste:
Forgot to take a picture but I deglazed the pot with a couple of cups of red wine.
Then I added the San Marzano tomatoes and some salt and pepper:
Hit it with an immersion blender:
Added the meat back to the pot and some fresh basil (I know you are usually supposed to add fresh herbs towards the end but that's how my mom and grandma did it)
Now I just let it simmer for a few hours. I usually cook it for about 4-8 hours depending on how big a batch. This time I am going with four because it will probably sit on the stove for a couple more hours on Sunday and the veal and ribs texture was just right at that point. When you cook longer those start to shred apart (which is not a bad thing at all, just not what I wanted this time).
About a half hour before stopping the cooking of the sauce I add the meatballs that I cooked in the oven:
So after four hours and change its done for today:
Plan is to serve it family style Sunday with a big bowl of sauced macaroni to pass around and a platter of all the different meats. And of course some cheese. Last Easter my niece brought back some parmigiano regiano from Italy which I Vaccuum packed and forgot I even had. Tasted it today while grating it and it was awesome. Definitely be serving that with the gravy. And of course with some good Italian bread to sop up the leftover gravy.
Haha with ten pounds of meat in it, it's quite a feast. But it's the second course after antipasto which consists of cheese and crackers, various olives and marinated peppers, Italian cured meats, etc.
And then for dinner we will be having a smoked prime rib, maple glazed bone in pork roast, chicken cutlets with a caprese relish, plain chicken cutlets for the kids, leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, sautéed broccoli rabe and a salad. And then dessert, which is too ridiculous to even get into haha. Hopefully in the mayhem of Sunday's festivities I'll get some plated pics. Thanks for looking!
-Chris
P.S.
Posting this in the sausage forum because it does contain two homemade sausages and meatballs. If it's moved I understand.
So here are the meats that go into the sauce
Pork spare ribs, hacked into smaller pieces, hot Italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage, and veal stew meat. And meatballs but those come later.These are the things I had in the freezer. You can always use meaty pork neck bones (which I love), cubed chuck instead of veal. Some people use lamb or chicken. All depends on the family. My mom and grandma always had pork, beef and or veal and sausage.
And the sauce ingredients:
First step is to brown all the meat in some olive oil. First the pork ribs:
Then the veal
Then the two kinds of sausage
Put all the browned meat aside:
Throw a mess of whole garlic cloves in the drippings and cook until browned:
Then brown the tomato paste:
Forgot to take a picture but I deglazed the pot with a couple of cups of red wine.
Then I added the San Marzano tomatoes and some salt and pepper:
Hit it with an immersion blender:
Added the meat back to the pot and some fresh basil (I know you are usually supposed to add fresh herbs towards the end but that's how my mom and grandma did it)
Now I just let it simmer for a few hours. I usually cook it for about 4-8 hours depending on how big a batch. This time I am going with four because it will probably sit on the stove for a couple more hours on Sunday and the veal and ribs texture was just right at that point. When you cook longer those start to shred apart (which is not a bad thing at all, just not what I wanted this time).
About a half hour before stopping the cooking of the sauce I add the meatballs that I cooked in the oven:
So after four hours and change its done for today:
Plan is to serve it family style Sunday with a big bowl of sauced macaroni to pass around and a platter of all the different meats. And of course some cheese. Last Easter my niece brought back some parmigiano regiano from Italy which I Vaccuum packed and forgot I even had. Tasted it today while grating it and it was awesome. Definitely be serving that with the gravy. And of course with some good Italian bread to sop up the leftover gravy.
Haha with ten pounds of meat in it, it's quite a feast. But it's the second course after antipasto which consists of cheese and crackers, various olives and marinated peppers, Italian cured meats, etc.
And then for dinner we will be having a smoked prime rib, maple glazed bone in pork roast, chicken cutlets with a caprese relish, plain chicken cutlets for the kids, leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, sautéed broccoli rabe and a salad. And then dessert, which is too ridiculous to even get into haha. Hopefully in the mayhem of Sunday's festivities I'll get some plated pics. Thanks for looking!
-Chris
P.S.
Posting this in the sausage forum because it does contain two homemade sausages and meatballs. If it's moved I understand.
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