There is something wonderful about cooking a sauce or other dinner for most of the day on a Sunday and filling the house with the great smells and anticipation. This is true for this recipe which we slightly adapted from Ali Slagle’s NYTimes recipe. It is very meaty, but that’s part of the flavoring and what makes it so rich and tasty. It does take several hours, but that’s really the point of it!
For this you’ll need: 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, x3 hot Italian sausage links, 1 lb ground beef, x2 eggs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 + 2 Tbsp fresh Oregano (chopped), 2 + 2 Tbsp fresh basil (chopped), 1 yellow onion (chopped), 6 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped), 6-8 anchovy fillets (chopped), 1/2 cup red wine, x2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 lb pasta (rigatoni, penne, etc), additional parmesan for serving, salt, pepper, olive oil.
Cut the pork shoulder into 3″ pieces and season well with salt and pepper.
Make the meatballs by combining the ground beef with the eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, 2 Tbsp fresh basil, salt and pepper with your hands and then creating golf ball sized meatballs. Set aside on a plate.
Heat 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the pork on both sides, 6-8 mins each side, cooking in batches if needed. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork and place on a plate to the side. Add more oil if needed and then brown the sausage links (whole) and remove with a slotted spoon to the same plate as the pork (if they’ll fit).
Reduce the heat in the dutch over to medium low, add another 2-3 Tbsp oil and then add the chopped onion and the garlic. season with salt and pepper and then cook until softened, 4-5 mins. Add the anchovies and the tomato paste and stir well to combine everything into a dark red paste – 2-3 mins. Add the red wine, turn up the heat, and stir well to combine. Allow this to cook down until all of the liquid is mostly evaporated – 4-5 mins.
Add the tomatoes, 2 Tbsp fresh basil, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, salt, pepper and the brown sugar. Rinse out the cans with a little water, filling them each about 1/2 way full. Hold on to this tomato water.
Stir everything well and add the pork and sausage links to the pot. Gently combine and then gently add your meatballs, nudging them carefully into the sauce (so they don’t break up). Then add enough of your tomato water to ensure all of the meat is fully covered and very gently stir everything together.
Bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer, partially cover the pot and allow to cook until the pork is falling apart – about 2 to 2.5 hours. Gently stir occasionally to make sure there isn’t sticking at the bottom of the pan and the meat is rotated through the sauce.
Once the sauce is done, remove the meat into a separate bowl with a slotted spoon or spatula. You can let it sit at room temperature to let it settle and meld.
Cook the pasta per the package instructions until al dente. Drain and save about 1/2 cup pasta water. Using the sauce pot or in a separate bowl, combine the pasta with the sauce and toss well. Use the pasta waiter to loosen it up if it is too thick. It should gently cling to the pasta.
Place the pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl, add the meat onto the top and serve with bread and additional parmesan.
Dinner at Our Place 