Sunday Gravy

I learned to cook from my mother. She he learned to cook from her mother. My grandmother was the best cook I ever met. She did things with food that still amaze me. I remember the smells and tastes like they were yesterday. I make my Sunday gravy the way my mother did. It's really good, but not as good as hers. She makes hers the way my grandmother did. It's really good, but not as good as my grandmothers'. It's funny how you can do things the same, use the same ingredients and techniques but somehow it still turns out differently.

There are as many different sauces and recipes for pasta as there are people. Quick tomato sauces, sauces with a cream base, plain olive oil, garlic and hot pepper etc. To me, Sunday Gravy is the true test of a good cook. It's a meat sauce that cooks for a good part of the day. It fills the house with a wonderful aroma and by the time it is done, your mouth is watering and and you can't wait to dig in. Forget the salad, pass the pasta. My grandmother would often use pigs feet as the meat for her sauce. I never really got into eating them, but they really add an incredible flavor to the gravy. Sometimes she would also add Italian sausage or meatballs. Sometimes all three. Most often the Sunday Gravy was served over pasta, sometimes over her home made ravioli (unbelievably good meat ravioli). Rich and intense in color and flavor, her Sunday Gravy was a labor of love. She suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis for most of her adult life so just standing at the stove was painful. I often wonder if that was an element in the greatness of her cooking. She loved cooking for the people she loved, and it came through. Following is my recipe for Sunday Gravy. Enjoy.

The meat. I think pork makes the best Sunday Gravy. Not a lean cut, something with some fat and bone. Pork ribs work really well. Cut them into 3 inch lengths. Beef short ribs work well also. You can add some Italian Sausage as well. Use a couple of pounds of meat not including the sausage.

The tomatoes. I really like ground tomatoes. They add a really nice texture. You can add tomato paste for a thicker sauce if you like. Since it cooks all day, I usually leave it out.

The spices. My family is from Sicily and the cooking was influenced by the cuisines of North Africa. Sweet spices are used in many savory dishes. I use cloves, anise seeds, fennel seeds salt, pepper, sugar and red wine in my Sunday Gravy.

The rest. Good olive oil, onions and garlic.

Put it together.

Heat large pot (6 quart or larger) over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat till smoking. Add meat (not the sausage) and brown. Reduce heat a bit. A good rule to keep things from sticking is to heat the pot, add and heat the oil, then add the item to be browned. Remove the meat after it has browned. Add one large diced onion. Saute 5 minutes. Add 4 cloves diced garlic. Saute till onions are translucent. Add 4 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon anise and fennel seeds. Saute a couple of minutes more. Return meat to the pot. Add 3 large cans ground tomatoes and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and one cup of red wine. Add fresh ground pepper and a teaspoon of salt. Be careful with the salt. Since the Gravy is going to cook all day(at least 4 hours) it is really easy to over salt. If you are going to add sausage, brown it and add it to the gravy at this point. Stir every 10 to 15 minutes so the gravy doesn't burn on the bottom. Taste when you stir and adjust seasonings, more sugar, wine, pepper. You want a nice balance of sweet from the sugar and acid from the wine. Let it cook at least four hours partially covered. Just before serving, add salt to taste. A little under salted is good if you are going to top your pasta with Parmesian cheese. Serve over your favorite style of pasta, something that will stand up to the gravy. Enjoy.