2000s Recipes + Menus
Sunday Ragù
Serves12
- Active time:1 3/4 hr
- Start to finish:4 hr
January 2009
This bottomless bowl of meat sauce is the stuff of dreams—the American Dream, in particular. In Italy, ragù would have been flavored with a small piece of pork, but because meat was so readily available in the United States, immigrants included beef braciole, meatballs, sweet and hot sausage, and pork shoulder and ribs. This dish requires hours on the stovetop to make the meat tender and juicy and the sauce thick and intense, but it’s well worth waiting for.
For tomato sauce
- 5 (28-oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably Italian)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
For beef braciole
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano (2 oz)
- 3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lb beef top round, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch slices
For meatballs and other meats
- Reserved meat mixture and frying oil from polpette
- 1/2 cup olive oil for frying, divided
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage links
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage links
- 1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 lb country-style pork ribs
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Equipment:
kitchen string -
Accompaniment:
Make tomato sauce:
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Pulse tomatoes with juice (1 can at a time) in a blender until almost smooth.
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Heat oil in a wide 10- to 12-qt heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onion until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
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Add tomato purée, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 40 to 45 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Make braciole while sauce simmers:
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Stir together garlic, parsley, cheese, and pancetta.
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Pound top round to 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with a rolling pin or meat pounder. Spoon parsley mixture evenly over beef cutlets (about 3 Tbsp each). Starting with a short side, roll up cutlets and tie at each end with string to make braciole.
Make meatballs:
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Form reserved meatball mixture into balls (about 16), using a 1/4-cup measure.
Cook meats:
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Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Season braciole with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper (total) and brown well in 2 batches, turning, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large shallow pan.
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Add 2 Tbsp oil to skillet and brown sausage in 2 batches, turning, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to pan with braciole.
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Pat pork shoulder dry and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add 2 Tbsp oil to skillet and brown pork shoulder all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pan.
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Pat pork ribs dry and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add remaining 2 Tbsp oil to skillet and brown ribs well in 2 batches, turning, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to pan.
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Heat reserved oil from polpette in skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry meatballs in 2 batches (do not crowd), turning occasionally, until well browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon. (Discard oil.)
Finish ragù:
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Return sauce to a simmer and carefully add all meats and juices. Simmer, partially covered, gently stirring occasionally (do not break up meatballs), until all meats are tender, about 2 1/4 hours.
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Transfer meats with tongs to a large platter. Serve with fettuccine and remaining sauce.
Cooks’ note: Tomato sauce with meats can be made 4 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).
- Keywords
- gina marie miraglia eriquez,
- italian,
- beef,
- pasta
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