Sunday Gravy

By taniaf

Ingredients

• sauce:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb pork spareribs
• 1 lb veal stew or chops
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 28 to 35 ounce cans peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 6 basil leaves, torn.
• meatballs:
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 48mins

Preparation

Step 1

Sauce:
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Put pork in pot. Cook, turning, for 15 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Brown the veal in the same way, remove to plate.
Place sausage in pot and brown on all sides. Set aside with pork.
Drain off most of fat from pot. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Discard garlic. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
With a food mill, puree the tomatoes with their juice into the pot. ADd water and salt and pepper. Add pork, veal, sausage and basil and simmer sauce. Partially cover pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. . If sauce becomes too thick, add more water.
Meatballs:
Combine all ingredients except oil in a large bowl. Mix together well. Shape into 2 inch balls (or smaller for lasagna or ziti.)
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
After 2 hours, add meatballs to sauce and cook for 30 minutes until thick.
Remove meats from sauce and set aside. Use sauce on top of pasta or in lasagna.