SUNDAY SAUCE
Of all the fine traditions of the Italian-American enclave in the United States, the Sunday afternoon ritual of making and eating a Sunday Sauce, a.k.a. “Gravy” is Italian-America’s most Time-Honored of all. Mamma, Grandma (Nonna), whoever will make their celebrated “Sunday Sauce” and all is glorious. Sunday Sauce? What is it? Well, first off, Sunday Sauce, or as many of us call it, Gravy or simply “Sauce,” is without question thee number -1 undisputed “Supreme Dish” of our great Italian-American Cuisine and the Italian-American community as a whole. “It doesn’t get any better than gathering with family and making a Sunday Sauce on Sunday” Ok, now, to be more specific for those who may not know about Sunday Sauce (Gravy), there are a number of variations on the theme. Most Sunday Sauces are made with Italian Sausages, Braciole, and Meatballs. Some people make their versions with; Beef or Pork Neck, while others make their Gravy (Sunday Sauce) with just Sausage and Meatballs, like Peter Clemenza in Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, The Godfather. The most popular version of Sunday Sauce is with Sausages & Meatballs. Some may throw in chicken thighs or a piece of beef chuck, or veal shank into this mix, and braciole might go in as well. A Sunday Sauce can be made with any combination of these aforementioned meats. The meats are slowly simmered for several hours in a “Sauce” made with tomatoes, minced onions, and garlic. I generally like to make my Sunday Sauce Gravy with; Sausages, Meatballs, and Pork Ribs. Other times I’ll make it with Sausage, Meatballs, and Braciole, or just Meatballs & Sausages like Clemenza.
An old tradition in some families is that mother or nonna would start the Sauce early on a Sunday morning, get all the ingredients in the pot and start the Gravy simmering away for an hour or so on top of the stove. She’ll then put it in the oven for a couple hours while everyone goes to Church. When you get back home, the Sauce will be ready. “Ready to be devoured, that is!”
Our family would usually start our Sunday meal with the most traditional Italian-American-Antipasto of roast peppers, Salami, Olives, Celery, and Provolone. After that, it’s on to the Main Event of Maccheroni and Sunday Sauce, a dish which is something so blissfully pleasing that no one can resist.
When a meal centered around a Sunday Sauce is announced, one can have visions of Blissful Ecstasy at the thoughts of eating maccheroni dressed in sauce and laden with all those tasty meats : Sausages, Meatballs, Beef Braciola, and succulent Pork Ribs. All this has been slowly simmered to culinary perfection. Yes, just the thoughts can enrapture one into a delightful frenzy of the most blissful feelings imaginable. The smelling, seeing, and consuming of all those tasty ingredients? It’s one of the World’s loveliest feelings of all, and not everyone experiences it. Eating Sunday Sauce. Yes, a Sunday Sauce can and does have such effects on one’s mind, body, and soul. And, I do not want to sound prejudiced, but this is pure fact, it is the Male of the Italian-American species who Love The Sunday Sauce most. It’s True! We also cherish Meatballs, and Meatball Parm Sandwiches as well. Thai is all part of the Italian-American culture.
The Sunday Sauce that my mother would make was with Meatballs and Beef Braciole. My memories are vivid watching my mother stuffing the Braciole with garlic, parsley, Pecorino Romano, and Pignoli Nuts, then tying the bundles with butcher's cord to hold the Braciole together as they slowly simmered in the Gravy. Another fond memory was helping my mother roll and shape the Meatballs.
As for me, my Sunday Sauce can vary depending on my mood. One thing I love to do when making my sauce is to add Pork Spareribs to the Gravy. Gravy by the way is what many people in the New York, New Jersey (Soprano Territory) area call Sunday Sauce, particularly in Brooklyn and South Philly. Not many people make their Sunday Sauce with the Pork Ribs, but to me they are phenomenal, and anyone who tries them, they are immediately hooked. As I think back, none of the ladies in our family put Pork Spare Ribs into their Gravy. I guess I read or heard about some people doing it, and I believe it was about 15 years ago or so that I started adding the Ribs into my Sauce. I haven’t looked back ever since. Ribs in the Garvy (Sauce)? “I love them.” And whomever I serve them to, go nuts for them as well. Without question they are one of the tastiest thinks you well ever eat. This is fact, there’s nothing better then pork spare ribs slowly cooked in sauce.
Yes, whenever I make my sauce with Pork Ribs, my friends go nuts for them, and most are surprised, as they might never have had Ribs in a Sunday Sauce before. They didn’t know that you could? Put Pork Ribs i n sauce. Sunday Sauce, the best thing ever.
The ribs are traditional with some but not all. It is quite a shame for those who don’t add the ribs as they give the sauce a quite wonderful flavor, and the ribs themselves, “Yumm.” The ribs that simmer long and slow become quite tender. They are succulent and juicy, and they “Melt-in-Your-Mouth.”
Whenever I make the Sauce, and I’m dishing it out to friends and family, I always make sure that I have my fair share of the Ribs. These Sunday Sauce Ribs are literally “Out-of-this-World.” And what to serve with the Sunday Sauce you ask? Any short Maccheroni such as Rigatoni, Ziti, or Cavatelli are best.
The rituals of cooking, serving, and eating Sunday Sauce is a time honored one. It is quite a beautiful thing, same as making a Mole in Mexico, Cassoulet in France or Paella in Spain. They are all wonderful things of beauty. They delight man's every sensory perception; sight, smell, taste, and feel. First, you probably smell the sauce's heady aroma wafting through the air. The smell of a Sunday Sauce is oh so intoxicating - it immediately gets your juices flowing. So to speak. Once you smell it, you want it, and can’t wait to sink your teeth into it. Second, you will see it in all its gloriousness. You will then eat, whereupon you taste and feel and experience one of Italian-America’s greatest pleasures, the Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy. It is without question, the greatest of all pleasures of the Italian-American experience. “Nothing beats Sunday Sauce (Gravy).” A Sunday Sauce (Gravy) takes time and effort to make. It is made and served with Love. All these great dishes bring together friends and family, and for Italian-Americans, Sunday Sauce is King of all dishes.
If you utter the term Sunday Sauce or “Gravy” to any number of millions of Italian-Americans, they will immediately start salivating at the simple mention of its name. The wheels start turning in their heads, with thoughts of how tasty it is, with its various components; the Meatballs, Sausages, Braciole. Maybe it has Ribs, pork neck, or Pig Skin Braciole (Coteca). And maccheroni. Maccheroni (pasta) and all those tasty meats. They think about these things, and sitting at the table, enjoying the company of friends - family, the people they love. They’ll ponder the Antipasti, wondering what it might be; mixed Salumi, Baked Clams, Grilled Calamari? And with the meal, there will surely be wine. Italian Wine. Maybe a nice Chianti? Or perhaps Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. With Uncle Frank and Uncle Tony, the wine was usually Carlo Rossi Paisano or Gallo Hearty Burgundy. Nothing else. It was always, one or the other, from these two solid Italian-American Winemakers.
When thinking of a Sunday Sauce, you’ll think about the warmth in the air, of loved ones, Sinatra, Dino, and the Sunday Sauce itself. The world's tastiest dish! If you’ve never done it, “Try it!” If you haven’t cooked one for some time, plan a get-together with friends and family, soon. Sunday Sauce, It brings people together, in a most delightful way. And as the Big Boys would say, “It’s a Beautiful Thing.”
…. Daniel Bellino Zwicke ….
Excerpted from SUNDAY SAUCE - by Daniel Bellino Zwicke
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