North End Sunday Gravy

This North End Sunday gravy recipe is a long-simmered homemade Italian "gravy" with meatballs. Basil, mint, and pepper flakes lend a savory herbal note.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 6 hr
• Calories: 527 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 pinch dried basil, or to taste
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 lamb shank
• 7 cups water, or as needed
• 2 pork neck bones
• 1 country-style pork rib
• 1 (8 ounce) beef chuck in 1 piece
• 1 beef rib, or more to taste
• 1 pinch dried mint, or to taste
• 0.5 cup milk
• 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 0.25 pound ground pork
• 1.5 teaspoons olive oil
• 0.5 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 0.5 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat; add neck bones, pork rib, beef chuck, beef rib, and lamb shank. Cook, flipping often, until browned on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.

Step 2

Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the same stockpot over medium heat; add 1 pinch each basil, mint, and red pepper flakes. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1 clove minced garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste until incorporated. Add water and crushed tomatoes; bring to a low boil. Add remaining 2 pinches each basil, mint, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and black pepper.

Step 3

Return browned meats to stockpot; bring to a simmer and cook 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove and discard neck bones.

Step 4

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; crumble in Italian sausage. Cook and stir until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir sausage and sugar into tomato sauce; heat to a simmer and cook 1 1/2 hours.

Step 5

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, ground pork, milk, parsley, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 clove minced garlic in a large bowl with your hands until evenly mixed; shape into 2-inch meatballs.

Step 6

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; cook until evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 7

Add meatballs to tomato sauce; simmer for 1 hour, adding water as needed to keep sauce from becoming too thick. Let sit off heat 2 to 3 minutes. Skim and discard any fat from top of sauce.