"Bob" > wrote in
:

> Nancy wrote:
>
>> How I really crave country style spare ribs is throw a big fat one
>> into long cooked tomato sauce. Just snuggle it down among the
>> meatballs and sausage. All you'll find is the bone when it's done.
>
> In one of the Mario Batali shows, I remember watching him make a
> Sunday gravy which included ribs. Although the recipe didn't make it
> onto the FoodNetwork web site, I had recorded the show and this is my
> reconstruction of the ingredient list. No quantities were given, but
> when I made it on my own, I started out with what I thought were
> "normal" proportions and it came out okay:
>
> Meatballs
> ground chuck (I used roughly 1.5 pounds)
> eggs (I used two)
> toasted pine nuts (I used a quarter-cup, and chopped them briefly)
> bread crumbs soaked in milk (I used a one-inch-thick slice of Italian
> bread that had gone stale. I made it into crumbs in the food
> processor, then added a cup of milk. I squeezed out most of the milk
> before incorporating into the meatball mixture.)
> salt & pepper (I just sprinkled it on liberally)
> garlic (three cloves, put through a press)
> parsley (about half a bunch of the leaves, chopped fairly finely)
> romano cheese (I just cut a big chunk off a wedge, and grated it
> finely) olive oil (This was just used to cook the meatballs; it wasn't
> in the meatball mixture itself.)
>
> Using your hands, mix together everything except the olive oil. Form
> into meatballs. (I made them just a bit smaller than golf balls.) Heat
> olive oil in a large shallow pan. Working in batches, cook the
> meatballs until browned. For Sunday gravy, you don't need to cook them
> all the way through; they'll cook more in the sauce.
>
>
> Sunday Gravy
> pork ribs (I used half a packet of baby back ribs)
> chicken (I used about six chicken thighs)
> onions (I used two large onions, chopped medium)
> red pepper flakes (I used about a tablespoon)
> Chianti (I used about a cup and a half)
> tomatoes (I used two big cans of Progresso whole tomatoes)
> sausages (I used about six sausages)
> meatballs which were just made
> salt and pepper
> sugar
>
> Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it along with the
> onions into the leftover oil in the pan used to make the meatballs.
> Cook it over medium-high heat for about five minutes, just to gain
> some color in the chicken. Dump the contents of the pan into a big
> kettle. Add the ribs, sausage, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Add
> about two teaspoons of sugar and some more salt and pepper, but don't
> overdo it; the mixture is going to reduce a bit, and you'll be able to
> add salt later if needed. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil,
> then lower the heat to low and cook for an hour, breaking up the
> tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and cook
> at least another hour. (As I recall, I cooked it for another four
> hours; I wanted the ribs to be falling-off-the-bone tender.)
>
> This time of year, I'd add some chopped fennel in with the onions, I'd
> add some finely grated carrots along with the tomatoes, and I'd add
> some roughly-chopped zucchini in the last fifteen minutes or so.
>
> Bob

Thanks for posting this, Bob. It gives me vague recollections of the
Sunday gravy my neighbor made when I was growing up. I always loved it,
but never knew how to make it. All the ingredients sound familiar as I
used to sometimes watch her make it. About time I tried it myself!



--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.