There is so much comfort and love from a red sauce that has simmered all day. I love the thick, rich darkness of this sauce combined with the tender pork and vegetables. The hardest part of this recipe was deciding what to name it. Is it a ragu? Probably not, because of the amount of tomatoes I added. I am not Italian and not trying to replace any Nonna’s cherished recipe. However, I can tell you, just cooking tomatoes all day makes for a great sauce on its own.
Today I did not have any fresh herbs so I decided to skip the Italian trinity: oregano, basil, bay leaf. So I used good quality canned tomatoes and let the meat, vegetables and garlic stand on their own. I also add different things every time I make this, it just depends on my mood and what I have on hand. I usually throw in Italian sausage, but today I had kielbasa on hand. I found a 5lb half pork shoulder at the grocery store earlier in the week and it looked perfect for Sunday Gravy. I have used beef, chicken and pork, the possibilities are endless. You could spoon this on top of pasta or polenta. My choice would be freshly made pappardelle pasta but I did not have any on hand. It’s a rainy, cold morning, and I am certain this will be just fine over spaghetti noodles tonight.
I have a large, enameled cast dutch oven that works perfectly for this and so many other things I whip up in the kitchen. If you are looking for a gift for someone that cooks for you, think about enameled cast iron. There are some pricey, fancy French brands that many of us covet from afar and some very reasonably priced ones, as well.
One of the great things about this dish is it freezes beautifully. And that is an added bonus and it will be a wonderful, easy dinner in a few weeks after a full day of work.
The wine is important and there is a good amount in this recipe. The alcohol cooks out and what is left the deep flavor of the wine. Do not use an expensive bottle and do not use cooking wine. You always need to use a wine you would drink. I always have some Kirkland brand wines around, they are inexpensive and very good quality for the price. They are perfect for cooking and also great for a weeknight glass of vino.
The only topping you will need is freshly grated parmesan cheese. Please don’t use the stuff already grated or shredded. Grate your own cheese, always. It’s a game changer. I have a mini chopper I use for this, it was a Christmas gift many years ago and I put it to good use often.
I would pair this with a good Chianti , Pinot Noir or a Red Blend. We had an Arabilis Pinot Noir on hand that was perfect.
Sunday Gravy
Ingredients
5lb pork shoulder or butt, fat trimmed, cut into large chunks
1 package of Italian sausage or a kielbasa
7 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 can tomato paste
2 cups red wine
2 28 ounce cans of good quality crushed tomatoes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Brown the chunks of pork on all sides. Remove from pot. On medium heat, saute the onions, celery, carrots for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cooks for 1 additional minute. Add tomato paste and cook for an addition 1-2 minutes. This removes any “tin” flavor from the paste. Add wine and stir, scrapping any bits of meat from the bottom of the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes. Return the pork to the pot and add the sausage. Cover the pot and place in the oven for 4-6 hours. When you lift the lid, there may be fat on the top. You can easily spoon some of that off and then stir and serve over pasta or polenta.
Make this recipe your own. Add oregano, bay leaf, basil, thyme. Spice it up with crushed red pepper. This can easily be gluten free by serving it over gluten free pasta.
