Food discussions on BBI always glean a good recipe or technique to make a dish even better. That said, there have been a couple of threads over the years on & lt;insert your word of choice& gt;, but they have seemed to disappeared in the BBI abyss.
Anyone care to share their recipe or technique? What meats do you use? How long? Any special tricks?
**Disclaimer: This thread isn't meant to be a debate of sauce v. gravy v. ragu.
In a frying pan brown 3 lbs ground meat. At least 1 pound should be pork. I usually do pork/uncased sausage and beef. Work in batches so it browns and doesnt gray, and season each batch. Drain each batch and add to the sauce. Cook 3 hours or more.
When ready to serve, cook the pasta to al dente and then put it in the sauce to finish cooking (~3 minutes). Turn off heat and hit it with a splash of olive oil (very important -- makes it luxurious). Freeze leftover sauce in individual portions.
The most important element of a killer Italian gravy (long-sauce) is TIME. My wife's stepmother taught me that even crap-for-canned-tomatoes will eventually turn into liquid heaven if you let them cook long enough. She'd cook her gravy over 2 days - I find that one full day is good enough.
So, MY gravy starts in the morning - as early as possible, I'll brown some bone-in, country style ribs, deglaze with a can of tomato paste - makes an evil, delicious mess - then dump in at least 3 24 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, with at least 12 ounces of good beef broth. I've tried many varieties, including San Marzano's, but my favorites are Wegman's Organic. Sweeter than most.
Simmer that all day long - at least 8 hours, TASTING as you go, making sure it doesn't BURN on the bottom of the pot - as the hours go by, the sauce will cook down and thicken - add more beef broth to keep the consistency where you want it. In the final hours, add your salt to taste. The pork ribs will disintegrate, so you'll eventually want to scoop out the bones before serving.
On occasions in the past, to get my kids to eat some vegetables, I've blended some zucchini and poured it in. Definitely not a purist technique, but it tastes pretty good and they've never noticed.
Meatballs
2 slices white sandwich bread (crusts discarded), torn into small cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 pound ground beef chuck ( or 1 pound if omitting ground pork below)
1/4 pound ground pork (to be mixed with ground chuck)
1/4 cup GOOD grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced FRESH parsley leaves
1 large egg yolk
1 small clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
1 small clove garlic, ROASTED (just throw a clove in a frying pan for a few minutes, then skin and mince)
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
Olive oil for pan-frying (about 1 1/4 cups)
1. Combine bread and buttermilk in small bowl, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix all meatball ingredients, including bread mixture and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Lightly form 3 tablespoons of mixture into 1 1/2-inch round meatballs; repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 14 meatballs. (Compacting them can make the meatballs dense and hard. Can be placed on large plate, covered loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for several hours.)
3. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 -inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat in 10- or 11-inch sauté pan, CAST IRON preferred. When edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles, add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, regulating heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to paper towel--lined plate; set aside. Repeat, if necessary, with remaining meatballs.
4. Once meatballs are done, drain the pan, THEN deglaze with about 1/4 cup of red wine. DUMP THAT into the gravy.
5. I like to let the balls swim in the gravy for about a half hour before dinner - remember to pull the pork rib bones first!
If it isn't tomato season, I do a recipe similar to Greg. For the meat, I tend to use meatballs, sausage, pork chops and braciola and put it in while teh sauce simmers until the pork and braciola are falling apart.
I actually couldn't agree more. Every recipe I have ever made form Kenji (his book is also amazing) has been fantastic.
The buttermilk bread mash does a much better job of retaining moisture than bread crumbs - these meatballs will hold the juice very well as long as their not overcooked.
The fresh parsley, raw garlic AND roasted garlic are important to that recipe. I realized over time, that garlic was overloading the flavor, so I cut back and roast half.
It is one of my favorite meals to cook. I love doing this on a football Sunday, wine bottle cracked and game on in the kitchen.
If it isn't tomato season, I do a recipe similar to Greg. For the meat, I tend to use meatballs, sausage, pork chops and braciola and put it in while teh sauce simmers until the pork and braciola are falling apart.
Do you pull the meat at any point and then reintroduce, so it doesn't over cook? Or do you just leave it in there the whole time?
1.5 lb ground pork/beef/veal mix
2 tbs light olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 large carrot diced
2 celery stalks diced
1.5 c red wine
1 c milk
1 large and 1 medium can tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 tbs butter (opt)
saute the pancetta in a cold pan over medium heat until browned, add the olive oil to have some extra fat for the veggies to saute, then saute the onions until translucent, add the carrots and celery, saute until tender
add the beef mix and crumble up the beef as it cooks and cook until moisture is mostly gone
then add the wine, reduce until the wine is gone,
add the milk, reduce until milk is gone, I like to add another splash a wine here and reduce a little more.
add the tomatoes (crushed/diced/or cut up whole are all good, I like the expensive diced Italian tomatoes that come in cartons) and simmer for a couple hours over low heat.
add the tomato paste and simmer another hour.
cook your pasta.
add a tbs butter to your pasta when you mix it with your sauce in the bowl.
serve with the extra sauce and a nice crusty loaf of bread
Also - ALWAYS worth it to buy fresh pasta over the box.
Also - ALWAYS worth it to buy fresh pasta over the box.
I think in some applications dry pasta is better. Basically, if the pasta is not supposed to be the star of the show, dry is better IMO. I dont think a fresh, soft pasta would go as well as dry with meatballs and a tomato sauce.
1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground veal (can substitute ground beef or ground turkey)
1 lb ground pork (can substitute ground Italian sausage)
½ cup chopped sweet Italian onion
2 to 3 cups of Italian bread crumbs
2 to 3 eggs
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tbls Basil
2 tbls Rosemary
2 tbls Fennel
2 tbls Oregano
2 tsp Thyme
1 cup of Asiago Parmesan Romano cheese blend (or just Parmesan if you don’t like the blend)
Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil, then mix everything together. Sauté the meatballs, and finish in 350 degree oven
Sauce:
2 28oz cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 medium sweet Italian onion
1 ½ cups of white wine (I use a Sauvignon Blanc)
1 small/medium red pepper (diced)
1 small/medium green pepper (diced)
1 small/medium yellow pepper (diced)
1 cup diced carrots
3 tbl basil
2 tbl rosemary
2 tbl oregano
2 tsp Thyme
1 1/2 tbl Marjoram
3 garlic cloves (minced)
Sauté the vegetables and garlic in olive oil. Combine all ingredients. Cook on medium heat until bubbling, then simmer for 1 ½ to 3 hours. Taste while cooking, because of the acid the tomatoes may be too bitter. If so add a 2 to 3 tbl of sugar to the pot.
I saute sliced garlic in EVOO until the garlic starts to yellow, then I go with 2 large cans of San Marzano's (crushed with a potato masher) and 2 smaller cans of Crushed Tomato's w/ basil and bay leaves.
After I let it sit for 20 minutes, I salt & pepper the sauce, then put a cup of romano/parm blend in. After I let those flavors blend I'll drop the sausage, meatballs and sirloin cubes in. The sausage and sirloin cubes are fried in oil and onions, so I'll put some of the sauteed onions in as well.
After that's all done I let the sauce simmer for a few hours until it thickens up.
Also - ALWAYS worth it to buy fresh pasta over the box.
That is what I was thinking. Typically, I leave my meats in there for 1-2 hours (braciole comes out in 2 hours, and meatballs after an hour) and then reintroduce about 30 minutes before servicing with the addition of sausage.
I generally get olive oil from Teitel's on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Their Edda brand is very good and relatively inexpensive. Recently picked up a 2L from costco because I wasnt headed to the Bronx. It's fine for cooking and even for that splash of raw EVOO at the end of a dish, but I think it has a bit of an odd taste if Im dipping bread in it (I noticed it once, so should retest for that). I should probably be using some fancy oil for bread but whatever.
1) pork neck bones
2) Beef bracciole. Pound out a flank steak, stuffing depends on where you're from
3) sweet and hot sausage
4) meatballs. You need the veal, beef, pork mix. (the pork is the flavor :-) ). Mrs. in CT makes great meatballs
5) occasionally will make a pork skin bracciole (cotenne)
6) if cotenne, will also add a piece of beef, usually london broil , for balance.
Steps:
1) brown meats and remove. drain excess fat from pot.
2) heat olive oil
3) add garlic, onions, salt, pepper, pinch of red pepper
4) add tomato paste, fiy it, make sure it doesn't stick :-)
5) deglaze with red wine.
6) add tomatoes, good brand like Cento. I like to mash up with my hands. dad salt pepper, a little fresh oregano, basil. bring to a boil
7) add meat back into the sauce.
I usually cook for 90 minutes or so, turn off, then reheat about 45 minutes before we eat, preferably around 4PM after a 1:00PM game.
These threads definitely get you hungry ...
I bake the meatballs in the oven and sear the sausage, braciola and pork on the stove. Then I put the sausage, pork and braciola into the sauce while it simmers. I add the meatballs only a couple hours before serving. Never have had an issue with overcooking - the meats are tender as can be.
again, favorite sauce - I use home made stock, preferably lamb.
add a clove of garlic sliced thin (you not have to use the razor blade method) until it melts in to the oil. Chop one onion small diced and add to oil and brown. When brown scoop out and start browning your meats.
Meatballs
2lbs ground chuck
1 lb ground pork
1 can Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup pecorrino/Romano cheese
2 eggs
table spoon garlic powder
browned diced onions from the oil.
cup of milk.
Mix and roll into Meatballs by hand not bigger than a tennis ball.
1 lb of italian sauasge.(you have to have pork to make the gravy) Delicious. You can use pork butt too or country style ribs.
Start browning meat in oil. (do not cook all the way and do not burn. You have to have the meat blood in the stock of the gravy or its not very good.
Pull out meat when browned and put in bowl.(save the drippings)
2 cans of Tomato paste add to gravy and brown to a dark brown by stirring it. Add two cans of tomato sauce small can and 1 or 2 cans of crushed tomatoes.
Stir over medium heat into a thick gravy Take the can from the crushed tomatoes and use it fill twice with water and add to gravy stir and bring to boil.
when boiling lower heat to low and stir cook for 30 mins.
After 30 mins add the meat and the drippings from the bowl the meat was in to the gravy. Cook for 30 mins then Simmer for a hour. More if you want a really good gravy.
If the gravy thickens too much add more water. If its thin add another tomato paste.
add a clove of garlic sliced thin (you not have to use the razor blade method) until it melts in to the oil. Chop one onion small diced and add to oil and brown. When brown scoop out and start browning your meats.
Meatballs
2lbs ground chuck
1 lb ground pork
1 can Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup pecorrino/Romano cheese
2 eggs
table spoon garlic powder
browned diced onions from the oil.
cup of milk.
Mix and roll into Meatballs by hand not bigger than a tennis ball.
1 lb of italian sauasge.(you have to have pork to make the gravy) Delicious. You can use pork butt too or country style ribs.
Start browning meat in oil. (do not cook all the way and do not burn. You have to have the meat blood in the stock of the gravy or its not very good.
Pull out meat when browned and put in bowl.(save the drippings)
2 cans of Tomato paste add to gravy and brown to a dark brown by stirring it. Add two cans of tomato sauce small can and 1 or 2 cans of crushed tomatoes.
Stir over medium heat into a thick gravy Take the can from the crushed tomatoes and use it fill twice with water and add to gravy stir and bring to boil.
when boiling lower heat to low and stir cook for 30 mins.
After 30 mins add the meat and the drippings from the bowl the meat was in to the gravy. Cook for 30 mins then Simmer for a hour. More if you want a really good gravy.
If the gravy thickens too much add more water. If its thin add another tomato paste.
salt and pepper meatballs and gravy to your taste.
Garlic melts into the oil and onions are always next.
Oil has a beautiful smell.
Then tomato paste.
Quote:
I would just be careful adding garlic to hot oil first, unless a tomato product is the next ingredient added.
Garlic melts into the oil and onions are always next then brown the meat.
Oil has a beautiful smell.
Then tomato paste.
Quote:
In comment 13240226 smshmth8690 said:
Quote:
I would just be careful adding garlic to hot oil first, unless a tomato product is the next ingredient added.
Garlic melts into the oil and onions are always next then brown the meat.
Oil has a beautiful smell.
Then tomato paste.
o you first add the garlic, until it melts, then the onion, then brown the meat in the same pan?
Quote:
I would just be careful adding garlic to hot oil first, unless a tomato product is the next ingredient added.
Garlic melts into the oil and onions are always next.
Oil has a beautiful smell.
Then tomato paste.
Garlic burns really quickly. If I use garlic in a tomato sauce, I let it cook 1-2 minutes max before adding the tomatoes.
You talking about powder?
For chicken breasts: bake at high temperature (450 deg) for shorter time (about 20 minutes) until internal temp reaches 165 deg. It will be far more moist and juicy than when cooked at traditional 350 degrees for longer.
Check out a skeptic who tried reverse sear vs. traditional sear on the video
Reverse sear vs. traditional cooking of steak - ( New Window )
For chicken breasts: bake at high temperature (450 deg) for shorter time (about 20 minutes) until internal temp reaches 165 deg. It will be far more moist and juicy than when cooked at traditional 350 degrees for longer.
Check out a skeptic who tried reverse sear vs. traditional sear on the video Reverse sear vs. traditional cooking of steak - ( New Window )
If you like the reverse sear, you have to try sous vide'd steak, it's a similar concept but 100% perfect every time and much more control over doneness.
For the gravy, I remember what my friend Dominic's mom said when I asked her for her secret meatball recipe - 'if you're putting things in that are secrets I don't want to eat them' and 'if you've got more than 10 ingredients you're working too hard'. And that house smelled like the world's greatest restaurant 24x7.
The first thing I do is take 2-3 garlic cloves quartered and place in a tin foil shaped bowl that is the size of your fist. You fill that with about a 1/2 cup of olive oil or just until the garlic is completely covered. Roast that for 30 min at 325 degrees. You will then use this oil and throw away the garlic pieces.
Next, put that oil in a dutch oven on the stove top and sautee a diced onion unil it is transparent. Add whatever meat you plan to use for your ragu/gravy (beef, pork, sausages, chicken, meatballs, etc) and make sure you salt and pepper them first. Brown on all sides. Throw in some chili flake, basil, oregano, 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Add whatever tomato you like now and fill the dutch oven to the point where the meat is just about covered. On the stove top, just try to bring everything up to a higher temp... until you see it start to boil just a little.
Put the cover on the dutch oven, take it off of the stove top and place in a pre-heated oven at 350 for 30 min. Then, after 30 min you will reduce the temp to 225 degrees and leave it in there for 5-6 hours.
Whatever meat you chose will be falling apart tender. Ironically if you are using meat balls do not fall apart which is also what you would want.
This past Sunday, we used a piece of beef and a piece of pork.
rnargi : 9:27 am
First off, I make a lot of meatballs and gravy…then I freeze most of it in individual containers (large Ricotta containers work great for this), so this is a big recipe
Meatballs:
1lb each of LEAN (I use 93%) ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal
About a cup/cup and a half of Progresso Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
As much garlic put thru a press as you like…I like about 4 or 5 cloves
Qtr cup FRESH diced flat leaf parsley…not curled OR about a tbsp of dried
1 tsp oregano
About a qtr cup (more if you like it) of fresh grated parm OR romano cheese…or a blend
Salt & pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste if you like them.
Mix all together and make medium sized meatballs out of them.
While getting the above together, have an IRON skillet or other heavy skillet getting hot w/ about a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Slice a small onion and about 4 cloves of garlic and fry them in the oil until completely browned but not burned over med heat. Remove when done, and then fry the meatballs on all sides. Remove and keep on a plate.
Fry up a few sausages and a few pieces of pork after the meatball is up. Any cut of pork will do, I usually used boneless country style ribs or any kind of boneless chops.
Gravy:
Six cans of the good imported whole peeled tomatoes
2 small cans of paste
1 huge clove of garlic, whole
If you have fresh herbs:
¼ cup of chopped basil
¼ cup of chopped flatleaf parsley
1 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
If you don’t have fresh herbs:
2 tbsp basil
2 tbsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
2 whole bay leaves
Salt/pepper to taste
¼ cup red wine (more or less to taste)
½ cup parm or romano or a blend.
Grind your tomatoes thru a food mill. If you don’t have one, you can use a processor or blender, but try not to get too much ‘air’ into them. You’ll also have to strain the seeds somehow. It’s time consuming as hell w/ out a food mill.