If you grew up in a family or an area like I did, you knew exactly what I meant when I said Sunday sauce (though your family may call it gravy). I would also bet that just reading those words brought back the smell of your grandmother's kitchen, the image of heaping plates of pasta, slowly cooked meats and perhaps some antipasti. I picture my Mama's kitchen, green carpet and all (yes, carpet in a kitchen). When I was young we would go to my grandparents' house on Sundays. We would eat at around two or three in the afternoon but everyone showed up early. My grandmother's Uncle Doc would bring fresh hard rolls topped with sesame seeds, which we would eat with soft butter for breakfast. The ladies would hunker down in the kitchen, looking at the circular for the sales of the coming week and my uncles would watch football with my grandfather in the living room. We weren't there as company - just a family spending a relaxing Sunday together.
Italian food in America is often criticized. People point out that Italian American food is different than what you might find in Italy and that it has become too main stream. Many consider it unrefined or simple. Last year I read a great article that explored the evolution of Italian food in America. It made me have an even greater appreciation of a cuisine that was already so special to me. As with all cultures, Italian American food - particularly the iconic vision of a pot of tomato sauce and meatballs simmering on a stove top - is a vessel for sharing what is best and most precious.
Sadly, my family stopped this tradition quite a few years ago. People moved away and families got busier. It's not quite the same but every few weeks I try to do a Sunday dinner of my own. Karl and I may run a few quick errands but most of the day is spent at home, quietly enjoying each other's company and the comfort of our apartment. Allow yourself to step back for a Sunday (a Saturday will do) and spend the day at home, cooking for whoever is most precious to you. Salute!
SUNDAY SAUCE
What you'll need:
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage links
1 lb beef short ribs
*This is how I made it.I usually like a combo of pork and beef but at least one will do. Some other options are beef braciole, beef or veal shank, bone-in pork chops, pork neck bones. I do love hot Italian sausage but I think it affects the taste of the sauce too much. If you really want to use it do a 50/50 split of hot and sweet links. If you don't eat pork or beef use chicken thighs and legs with the bone.
1/4 cup (or so) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (finely diced)
2 cans tomato puree (28 oz each)
** Ideally, these will be San Marzano. They are markedly better and sweeter than other varieties of tomato. It MUST be puree. To me, the delicious buttery quality of this sauce is inextricably linked to it's smooth texture. There is a time and place for chunkier, rustic tomato sauce. This is not it.
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs oregano (slightly less if you use fresh, which I did)
1 handful fresh basil leaves
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/4 of red wine (drinkable)
3 tsp salt (+ a few more sprinkles)
1 tsp sugar
freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbs butter
How to do it:
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and lightly coat it with olive oil. The pan needs to be hot enough to sear the meat but not so hot that the oil is smoking. Add the sausage links and brown on both sides. Remove, and set aside on a plate. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Do not crowd them. Brown them on all sides and then remove and add to the plate with the sausages.
Turn the heat down to low and add a bit more olive oil. Add the diced onion and sprinkle with a bit of salt.You want to sweat the onions, which means they will become fragrant and give off moisture but they won't brown. This helps to keep them soft and ensures that they will melt into the sauce later on. Once the onions start to soften add the garlic. Like the onions, you want the garlic to soften but not to brown.
Once the garlic is soft add the red pepper, oregano and a few torn basil leaves. Saute for a few minutes until fragrant. Next, add the tomato paste and turn the heat up a bit. You want to cook the tomato paste for a few minutes to wake it up (as Rachael Ray says).The tomato paste will be sticky and may even brown on the pan again. Now add the red wine to deglaze the pan. You don't need much - a hearty splash will do. I won't lie and say that this splash doesn't come directly from my own glass sometimes. Well, if I make this sauce later in the day. Scrape up any dark bits from the bottom of the pan and let the alcohol cook off for a minute or two.
Now it's time to add the tomato puree. Reduce the heat to low and add both cans of tomato to the pan. Then gently add a bit of water to each can in order to get all of the tomato out. You want to fill each can 1/2 - 2/3 of the way full with water. Add the water to the pot. Add the salt and sugar. Add the browned meats back to the pan and leave the pot uncovered to simmer for at least 3 hours, ideally the better part of a day. If you are letting this bubble away all day loosely cover it after a few hours so that it doesn't over reduce and become too thick. This sauce isn't meant to be super thick.
When you're almost ready to eat add the butter and a few more torn basil leaves. Cook your favorite pasta to al dente and enjoy!
MEATBALLS
What you'll need:
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 lb lean ground beef
*You can use any combination of meat that you like. For holidays and other special occasions I would usually use a mix of ground beef, pork and veal - often sold together as 'Meatloaf Mix'. For normal days I use the lean meats so that I can have more of it more often :)
1 handful chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs oregano
1 egg
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs grated pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano
red pepper flakes (a few shakes)
freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour (few tablespoons)
How to do it:
Add the panko to a large mixing bowl and cover with the milk. Let the milk soften the bread crumbs a bit and then add the remaining ingredients through the pepper.
Use your hands to mix the ingredients together. You don't to over mix it because this will make the meat tough but you do want things fairly evenly distributed. This is particularly important if you are using more than one type of meat.
Next, prepare a meatball rolling station. You will need a small bowl of water and a sheet pan. Roll the meatballs into whatever size you like. I find that a golf ball size or slightly larger works well. Wetting your fingers with the water in between rolls will help to reduce sticking.
Once all of your meatballs are assembled sprinkle a bit of flour over them and roll the balls around to lightly cover them on each side. The flour will help to create a sealant and will make it easier to brown them.
I find the next step to be really important: browning. Some people pop the meatballs right into the oven. I know that a lot of people even throw raw meatballs RIGHT INTO THE SAUCE. Shudder.I don't like the sound of that. I think that browning the meatballs adds a necessary crispness and depth of flavor.It also helps to protect the inside of the meatball and keep it moist.
Lightly coat a hot (not scalding) saute pan with oil and brown the meatballs in batches, careful not to crowd them. Your goal is not to cook them fully. You just want to firm them up. If you are using all beef or the meatloaf mix your meatballs can probably go directly from the pan into the sauce pot. I find the ground turkey to be particularly soft so I like to pop them into a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes before putting them into the sauce. If not they tend to fall apart.
Once the meatballs come out of the oven you can add them to your sauce. I usually like to let them simmer very gently for about 30 minutes before we're ready to eat. If you make the meatballs early in the day hold off on adding them to the sauce until 30-60 minutes before dinner.
Serve over pasta or with some fresh bread!
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