Nirvanaitaliangravy Recipes

ITALIAN GRAVY AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large pot combine tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato paste, water, sugar, oregano, 2 tspn salt, 1 tspn pepper, garlic cloves and bring to a simmer on low heat.
• Combine ground beef, bread, eggs, Romano cheese, 1 1/2 tspn salt, garlic powder and 1/4 tspn pepper.
• Mix ingredients and form into meatballs 2-3" in diameter.
• In a large skillet use enough of the veg oil to have approx 1/8" covering bottom
• Heat on medium.
• When oil is hot enough, brown meatballs on all sides and add to pot with sauce.
• Brown pork neck or ribs in same pan and add to sauce.
• Add at least 1/2 of remaining oil in skillet to pot.
• Don't forget to add all of those small cooked bits from skillet bottom.
• (Great Flavor!!!) Any excess oil or fat can be spooned off of sauce after cooking.
• Cook uncovered (simmer) for 1 1/2 hrs.

ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oil in very large Dutch oven.
• Add garlic and onions and saute until soft.
• Add tomato paste and stir to combine.
• Add crushed tomatoes and spices.
• Stir bring to boil, lower heat to low--cover and simmer.
• Meanwhile combine all meatball ingredients (except for flour and oil).
• Form into balls about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Dredge meatballs in flour.
• Fry meatballs in oil in skillet a few at a time until browned on all sides (not necessary to cook through they will cook in the sauce) Add fried meatballs from skillet directly to simmering sauce.
• Stir and bring sauce back to a simmer.
• Cover.
• Place sausage in pot and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil and boil about 5 minutes to remove some of the fat.
• Brown boiled sausage in skillet.
• Place browned sausage in simmering sauce.
• Bring sauce back to simmer---cover and continue simmering for 2 hours over low heat---stir occassioanlly.
• Remove meatballs and sausage from pot and place on serving dish.
• Toss sauce with cooked pasta--You will have enough sauce to coat two pounds of cooked pasta.
• This freezes very well!

WEEKDAY ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and then the sausage; cook, turning occasionally, until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the slow cooker. Pour off and discard all the oil in the skillet and return it to the heat. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 1 minute. Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Pour the mixture over the sausage.
• Add the beef shins, crushed tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, Italian herbs, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to taste. Set the slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours, cover, and cook until the beef is very tender.
• When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage and beef to a cutting board, slice into serving portions, and arrange on a serving platter. Drain the pasta and toss with some of the sauce; transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve the meat and pasta separately with sauce on the side. Freeze any leftover sauce for up to 3 months.

NIRVANA ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Cover the bottom of a stock pot (at least 12 quart) with olive oil and set over medium heat.
• Add short ribs, oxtails, country style spare ribs and beef neck bone and brown them with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Cook until both sides of meat are browned.
• Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same pan add the sausage and ground beef.
• When ground meats are cooked through, drain grease and oil from pan.
• If there are any large pieces of the ground meats, break them up or pulse in a food processor.
• Add to bowl with other meats, set aside.
• Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into pot and saute onions, Italian parsley, garlic, shallots, jalapeno peppers, and pesto.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion.
• When onions are limp, add all of the reserved meats.
• Over medium heat, add 2 cups red wine.
• While this mixture is cooking, in a separate saute pan, add 1/4 cup olive oil and over medium heat saute mushrooms.
• Raise heat to medium high and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
• When mushrooms are browned add them to meats along with the tomato puree, tomato sauce and stock.
• In a food processor pulse stewed tomatoes with tomato paste until smooth and add them to the pot.
• Add allspice, Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion.
• The gravy must cover the meat and come close to the top of the pot.
• Reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook uncovered for approximately 4 to 5 hours.
• Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• When meat on oxtail is tender, take all of the whole meats out of the pot, leaving the ground meats inches.
• To complete gravy, add 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, fresh basil and cream sherry.
• Serve the meat with gravy and pasta.
• Remove the rest of the gravy from the heat and let cool for 2 hours at room temperature then divide into pint containers and freeze.