Ingredients (Serves 8 – 10)
Total Time: 5 Hours
Meatball Ingredients
1lb ground beef
1lb ground pork
1lb ground veal
1 large yellow onion (finely chopped)
8 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tsp salt
3 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
handful of Italian breadcrumbs (or 2 slices of stale bread crumbled up)
handful of Parmesan or Romano cheese
handful of fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
Remaining Ingredients
1lb hot Italian sausage
1lb sweet Italian sausage
four 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 large yellow onion (softball size large, finely chopped)
8 – 10 cloves garlic (minced)
handful of fresh parsley (chopped)
large handful of fresh basil (chopped)
2 or 3 bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon ideally)
3 – 5 Tbsp oil
1 – 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 – 2lbs cooked pasta (I prefer penne rigate or rigatoni)
Procedure
Brown the meat
Combine all of the ingredients required for the meatballs in a large mixing bowl. Mix by hand until evenly incorporated. Form meatballs about the size of baseballs – 6 – 8oz each.
There are two methods for cooking meatballs, the best of which is in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a baking sheet or a glass pan and bake them in the oven. Bake at 450F for about 25 – 30 minutes, turning half way to ensure they brown evenly. If possible, use a pan or sheet that allows you to collect the juices.
If you have a cast iron skillet, heat 3 – 4 tablespoons of oil over medium / medium-high heat. You may need more oil depending on how large your skillet is, as you want the oil almost 1/4 way up the side of the meatball as it cooks.
Once the oil is to temperature, place the meatballs in the skillet and brown on each side. About 7 – 10 minutes per side. It’s best to use a set of stainless steel kitchen tongs to flip the meatballs. You don’t want to flip them too early, or they may break apart. It’s important to get one side good and browned before attempting to flip or turn. It also helps to somewhat (not a lot) flatten the meatball so there are two sides that have slightly more surface area when cooking.
Once the meatballs have browned, remove them and set them on a plate.
Using the remaining oil, brown the sausages in the skillet as well. (If your sauce pot is large enough, you may consider browning the meatballs and sausage in the same pot you will cook the sauce in. Most pots however are not large enough , and you will end up crushing your meatballs as you try to rotate them, so be careful if you try this method.
Once the sausage have browned, set them aside on the plate with the meatballs.
Make the sauce (You can also replace the meatball portion of this, with Braciole using the same sauce, for the same amount of cooking time)
In your sauce pot, heat 1 or 2Tbsp oil over medium heat.
Once the oil is to temperature, saute the chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onions begin to sweat.
Add 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper, the handful of chopped basil, the handful of chopped parsley, and the bay leaves and saute for about 2 or 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with the cup of red wine, and continue to cook for another 2 or 3 minutes while the alcohol evaporates.
Add in all four 28oz cans of crushed tomato, and stir to evenly combine everything.
Add in 1Tbsp of granulated sugar, and stir to combine.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the tomatoes up to temperature.
Once the tomatoes start to bubble, add add the meatballs to the sauce using a set of kitchen tongs. I typically gently place the meatballs in a circular stack, starting by placing one at the bottom, and continuing to move around the bottom of the pot until it’s full, then stacking. Once all the meatballs are in the pot, poke the sausages a few times with a fork, and place them in the spaces left between the meatballs. Make sure to also dump in any juices or fat that may have accumulated on the plate while the meatballs and sausages were resting.
Leave the heat on medium-high until the sauce starts to bubble again, then bring the heat down to low.
Cover with a lid, and let simmer for a minimum of 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
After about 3 hours, taste the sauce. If it tastes too acidic or sharp, add another tsp or two of sugar and mix. At about 3.5 hours, mix in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
Serve over top of cooked pasta, with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.