Sunday Gravy With Beef Or Pork Braciola And Anna And Frankies Meatballs Recipes

ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY-RECIPE HANDED DOWN FROM NONNA.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Brush the foil with olive oil.
• Arrange (in a single layer) pork neck bones or country-style ribs on one baking sheet and the Italian sausages on the second baking sheet. Brush the tops of all the meats lightly with olive oil.
• Cook meats in the preheated oven, until deep golden brown on all sides, turning as needed to cook evenly. Allow approximately 1 hour for the pork necks and ribs and 40 minutes for the sausage. Set cooked meats aside.
• Meanwhile, in a very large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, brown ground beef and pork, over medium heat, crumbling into small pieces. Remove ground meats to plate and set aside.
• Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add onions, minced garlic, and carrots and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until they soften and begin to caramelize.
• Add the wine to the pot and cook, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Continue to cook until the wine is reduced by half.
• Add whole tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, water, bay leaves, oregano, fresh basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
• Add the browned grounded meats, pork necks or country style ribs, and sausages back to the pot. Bring the gravy to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer.
• Simmer, uncovered for about 3 1/2--4 1/2 hours. If you have the temperature right, you should see a cheerful little bubbling on the surface of the gravy. Moderate the heat to maintain this gentle simmer throughout out cooking time.
• Stir occasionally so the meats don't stick. If the gravy becomes too thick as it simmers, add water. (If it's simmering gently, you shouldn't need to add any extra water.)
• While the sauce simmers, make the meatball. After the sauce has cooked for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours and is nice and thick, give it a very good stir, digging down to the bottom of the pot, then add the meatballs. Continue to simmer the gravy without stirring for another 30-40 minutes, or until the meatballs are hot and the flavors marry. Remove bay leaves. You're READY to Serve. Mangia! Mangia!

SUNDAY SAUCE WITH BRACIOLE, MEATBALLS, AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Make the sauce:
• Purée onions and garlic in a food processor until very finely chopped.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook onion mixture and 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring often, until liquid is evaporated and bits on bottom of pot are beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until slightly darker in color, about 2 minutes more. Add 1/2 cup water and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Add tomatoes and their juices and 1 cup water; stir to combine. Stir in basil, season with pepper and remaining 1 tsp. salt, and bring to a simmer. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.
• Make the breadcrumb mixture:
• Combine cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs, and garlic in a medium bowl.
• Prepare the braciole:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Lay beef flat on a work surface; season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture. Working one at a time and starting at the short end, roll up beef, then tie in a few places with butcher's twine to secure. Season braciole with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet as needed, cook braciole, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
• Transfer braciole to pot with sauce, cover, and bake 1 1/2 hours. Wipe out skillet and reserve.
• Prepare the meatballs and sausage:
• Mix ground beef, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 1/4 cups breadcrumb mixture with a fork in a medium bowl. Shape into 12 (1 1/2") balls.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet. Working in batches, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. Working in batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet as needed, cook sausages, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.
• After braciole has baked 1 1/2 hours, using tongs, gently lower meatballs and sausages into sauce. Cover pot and continue to bake until braciole is very tender and meatballs and sausages are cooked through, 25-30 minutes more.
• To serve:
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Transfer sausages, meatballs, and braciole to a platter; remove strings from braciole. Spoon some warm sauce over.
• Drain pasta and toss with as little or as much sauce as you like. Serve topped with Parmesan.
• Do Ahead
• Sauce can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill, or freeze up to 6 months. Braciole, meatballs, and sausages can be made 3 days ahead; submerge in sauce, cover, and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.

ANNA AND FRANKIE'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• BREAD CRUMBS: Unless you make your own bread crumbs, you won't be following Rao's kitchen tradition. Use the finest quality Italian bread you can find. Allow it to dry for at least two days. Then grate, using a handheld grater or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Shake and push the bread crumbs through a medium strainer to get an even texture.
• MEATBALLS: Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist. Shape the mixture into balls (approximately 2 1/2 to 3-inches in diameter).
• Heat oil in a large saute pan. When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches. When bottom 1/2 of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp turn and cook top 1/2. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Lower cooked meatballs into simmering Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or on their own.

SUNDAY GRAVY WITH BEEF OR PORK BRACIOLA AND ANNA AND FRANKIE'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Braciola: With meat cleaver or any heavy kitchen utensil, pound the meat slices between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Rub each piece of meat with the garlic clove. Sprinkle each slice of meat with and equal amount of cheese and parsley. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Roll the meat up tightly like a cigar, and tie with butcher's twine to keep meat rolled while cooking. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the meat rolls and fry for about 6 minutes or until evenly browned. Reserve meat for gravy.
• Meatballs: Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients. Add bread crumbs to mixture. Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, until mixture is moist.
• Shape meat mixture into balls, approximately 2 1/2 to 3-inch balls.
• In a large skillet, heat oil. The oil should be very hot, but not smoking. Place the meatballs in pan, and fry in batches. When the bottom half of meatball is browned and slightly crispy, turn over and cook top half. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
• Sunday Gravy: In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and toss to coat with oil. Cook meat a few pieces at a time, about 5 minutes, until nicely browned on all sides. Remove meat from pan and set aside. When garlic cloves have browned, remove and discard them.
• Combine tomato paste and water and stir into oil. Stirring constantly, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice, raise heat, and bring to a boil. Using a tomato can, measure 2 cans of cold water, add to pan, and return to a boil.
• Return beef and pork to the sauce, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Lower heat and partially cover pan. Cook for approximately 2 hours stirring occasionally until meat is almost falling apart and sauce is thick.
• One hour before sauce is ready, add the beef or pork braciola and sausage. Add the meatballs at the same time.
• To serve: Remove meat from sauce. Serve sauce over pasta, and the meats on a separate platter.

SUNDAY GRAVY (SINATRA'S FAV IN HOBOKEN,BABY!)

Steps:

• 1. Using a huge stockpot big enough to hold all the sausages, and tons of meatballs, braciole, etc. (a lobster bake sized pot or commercial one is preferred,this way you have sauce for a long time in your freezer!) 1. pour the olive oil in the stockpot and sauté the chopped onions- when theyre slightly carmelized, add the sausages to brown. When those are browning, add the chopped garlic LAST. (burnt garlic ruins the gravy- it WILL be bitter; and must be thrown out and started all over again!) LOWER the heat so you don't burn the garlic.
• 2. Start making the meatballs. Using a huge mixing bowl, throw in ALL that ground meat mix (it is a WELL known and universally agreed upon to use the TRIO aka 'Holy SPirit" of meat for the meatballs...as in, the beef, pork, and veal mix mostly found at the grocery store for meatloaf). To the meat, add the breadcrumbs, chopped garlic, chopped parsley, basil, milk,grated parmesan cheese,salt and pepper,pinch of nutmeg and eggs. Roll up your sleeves and use your hands to mix it all together thoroughly. PUT SOME LOVE INTO IT. (you may be judged on THAT later, as I usually am!)The mix should NOT BE TOO LOOSE- nor- too firm.If too loose, add more breadcrumbs (this is highly criticized if they're "too bready". If too firm add a splash more of milk. MAKE SURE YOU ADD ENOUGH SALT AND PEPPER TO SEASON ALL THIS MEAT.For this amount of meat, I would use about 1/3rd to a half an entire head of garlic. The cheese I use is fairly sharp (as in "Locatelli" brand. Form an approx. 1.5 "-2" sized meatball (they'll shrink a bit while cooking).WATCH THAT SAUSAGE AND GARLIC SO IT DOESN'T BURN!This should give you at least more than 20 meatballs from the 3-4lbs of ground meat mix.
• 3. IF making brasciole- lay them out, pound them a tiny bit,slice in half. season w/salt & pepper, and add the filling inside. Roll and skewer using toothpicks or metal sticks. FILLLING: in a mixing bowl, mix grated cheese, garlic, copped parsley, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. Mix w/your hand and put a palm full into each pc of braciole and close.
• 4. You wont have room to brown the brasciole alongside the sausages, so transfer the sausages to another plate(temporarily). Remove the garlic too- so as to avoid burning while browning your brascoile. (many people don't do the brasciole EVERY TIME) sometimes we like to throw in whatever is on sale that week. Short ribs,pork ribs,veal shank, really anything that's tough that will braise for hours in this gravy.
• 5. After the (optional brasciole) is browned, put the sausages and garlic back in. NOW add all cans of crushed tomatoes, puree, and paste. Next, add a good amount of salt and pepper (as the tomatoes are full of water , so you will need to season well. DONT WORRY- you will be tasting it along the way adjusting the seasonings.Add, basic dried Italian seasoning and bring to a slow boil. STIR OFTEN to avoid BURNING the bottom of the stockpot! ANY BURNING WILL RESULT IN BITTER FLAVORED GRAVY.
• 6. Once the gravy starts bubbling, CAREFULLY add in all those meatballs. Let them plop in (even on top of each other is ok). Give it a good (careful stirring; we DONT WANT TO BREAK THE MEATBALLS). Again, bring to a slow boil, reduce heat then simmer for at least 3hrs or more.In the last 30mins, add the chopped fresh BASIL. (many people have this simmering ALL day; so when they get home from church, they pig out together.Yes! people in NJ DO GO TO CHURCH STILL! lol-
• 7. Cook any type,shape of pasta (barilla, luigi vitelli)or FRESH we like here.MAKE SURE YOU COOK IT AL'DENTE' or throw it out. Many people don't know this but al' dente is lower glycemic and healthier to digest. I have a low carb brand I use often and LOVE (it tastes like semolina pasta) its called DREAMFIELDS. It cooks a bit quicker tho- so watch it. Top it off with the BEST QUALITY PARMESAN YOU CAN FIND. The cheese DEF can alter the flavor.
• 8. This SUNDAY GRAVY will meld the flavors over time and as it sits in the fridge as days pass. It should keep in the fridge for at least a week. in my house we'll eat it constantly. Freeze mini containers (even the quart sz Chinese food soup ones will do). I label the containers with the date and how many pieces of sausage, braciole, and meatballs are contained inside. Although this is considered a "sacrilege" amongst the older generations, as they would NEVER FREEZE A GRAVY- I have to remind myself that I am a working wife with time constraints and unless and until I move to Tuscany or the Almafi Coast and have a leisurely life- I will be freezing extras in this house for sure. They'll keep in the freezer up to 6mos.