Sunday Sauce

Sunday sauce sounds like a project but it's easier to make than you think. It's meant to be cooked all day from morning to mid-afternoon right before you bring that pot of water to a boil for your favorite rigatoni or spaghetti. A true Sunday sauce should taste intensely rich of tomato that has stewed low and slow for what seems like forever. The meatballs are so tender, little bits break off into the sauce as they simmer away, pork ribs fall off the bone indicating peak sauce richness, and delightful oily puddles pool at the top of the pot only to be folded in at the end for maximum umami.

There are a few things that are unnecessary for a Sunday sauce: calling it gravy (why? how?); the use of red wine—it’s not cacciatore—and adding oregano, either fresh or dried, it just doesn’t belong. With that said, here’s how to make your fantasy Sunday sauce just the way we love it.

Spaghetti sauce vs. Sunday sauce:
Spaghetti sauce is generally a quicker “lighter” version of meat sauce. Onions and garlic are combined with browned ground beef and mixed with crushed tomatoes. The sauce strews for no more than 30 to 45 minutes. Sunday sauce, on the other hand, cooks on the stove for hours and hours.

How to make the best Sunday sauce:
— Using the right tomato. Because this sauce is enriched with so many meaty, fatty, components, it’s okay to choose canned tomatoes that are a little less decadent. So go ahead and choose whichever brand you like and make sure to get a can of crushed tomato as well as tomato puree.
— The panade. Meatballs often require a mixture of bread and milk. The fresh bread crumbs soak into the milk to create what’s called panade. For these meatballs, it’s only required to mix eggs, milk, bread crumbs, cheese, and all of the seasonings before adding the meat. Letting the mixture soak for an extended period of time isn’t needed.

The meat:
— Meatballs. 80/20 might seem like a high proportion of fat to meat, but all of that fat is going into the sauce. While testing, searing the meatballs created a crispy layer, which prevented them from turning soft and tender. Fresh bread crumbs is a must: A soft Italian loaf or white pullman bread is fine. Whatever you do, don’t use panko or processed dried bread crumbs.
— Pork ribs. Always use a shreddable, fatty pork rib. If you want larger ribs with brisket meat, opt for pork spare ribs. You can also get a smaller baby back rib. They likely have loin meat attached and may result in a larger amount of ribs for the quantity.
— Pork sausage. Fat is flavor and sausage is definitely full of good fat. Sweet sausage brings a mildness to the sauce that everyone can enjoy. If you really want to use spicy sausage, go ahead. Also, don’t be afraid to splurge a little at the butcher for house-made top-quality sausage. Otherwise, Premio is a good brand to look out for; it’s generally inexpensive and holds up really well after hours of stewing.

Storage:
This is a great sauce for meal prep. Depending on how many you’re feeding in a given meal period (say 4 to 6 people), one pot will be enough for one dinner and lunch for a few people the next day. Store in airtight glass containers and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Made this recipe? Let us know in the comments below.