Hammett Farms Sunday Gravy Recipe

Happy Wednesday friends! Today I am sharing a family favorite- Hammett Farms Sunday Gravy. When I shared this in my stories a few weeks ago I got a ton of messages asking for the recipe. I also had a poll to see how many people have heard of Sunday Gravy and was shocked with how many had NOT heard or tried it before! Sunday Gravy is similar to tomato sauce except it is loaded with meat. Typically flavorful cuts like pork ribs, beef, and sausages are simmered in tomato sauce all day. It adds a ton of flavor that can’t be matched by a standard marinara sauce. Traditionally, Sunday Gravy was a way to use whatever meat was on hand, or several cuts of meat, in a slow cooked braise to then serve over pasta. We have played around with different meats but our absolute favorite to add is bone in short ribs. We also like limiting it to 3 meats- anything more tends to be a little too much.

RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS

• Meats: As mentioned above, we prefer to use beef short ribs but you can literally use ANY meat for this recipe. If you want to have fun with it, go to the meat sale section at your grocery and pick a few out!
• Tomatoes: We prefer Italian San Marzano tomatoes which are are meaty and tender.  Buy them whole and crush them by hand. We also enjoy adding tomatoes from the garden when in season.
• Pasta: Like the meat, you can serve this gravy over ANY type of pasta. We love rigatoni because the meat gets stuck inside the pasta which is delicious!
• Toppings: Have fun with toppings by serving whatever you have in your kitchen! Sometimes we add various toppings and other times just a little cheese and fresh parsley.
• Cooking: Do not cover your tomato sauce while it is cooking. This is something we learned form Italian chefs! Tomato sauce is very acidic and needs time to reduce.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot or onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• Two 28-oz. cans of Italian San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 4 large beef short ribs
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground sausage
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 pound of rigatoni (or pasta of your choice)

FOR TOPPINGS

• Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
• Ricotta cheese (plain or seasoned)
• Fresh parsley
• Bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Sauté shallot (or onion) with olive oil, garlic and basil stem.
2. Add both cans of San Marzano’s tomatoes. Add 1/2 can of water using the same can of tomatoes. 
3. Use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes while it’s cooking. 
4. Add small handful of fresh basil to sauce and mix well. 
5. In a separate pan, add 1 TBSP olive oil and allow pan to get warm. 
6. While pan is heating, salt and pepper each piece of short rib. 
7. Once pan is warm, add each short rib. Cook until meat is brown on all sides. 
8. Remove cooked basil from sauce. Optional: Blend sauce with immersion blender.
9. Add short ribs to tomato sauce. 
10. Using same meat pan, cook the ground sausage and beef together. 
11. Add both meats to tomato sauce and gently stir.
12. Allow to cook on low heat for a minimum of four hours or until short rib meat easily comes off with fork. 
13. When ready to serve, cook pasta and prepare toppings.
14. In a large bowl, add pasta then gravy. Add desired toppings. Enjoy with family!

Xo,