Repeat with the remaining pork and, finally, the uncased sausage.
Brown all well, remove and reserve.
4. Add the chopped aromatic vegetables with the thyme sprigs to the
pan, scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on the
bottom of the pan.
5. Once the vegetables have softened, add the red wine. Allow the
wine to come to a boil and then simmer to fully reduce.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf to the pot,
stir together and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat
to maintain a simmer. Add the reserved meat with any accumulated
juices and cover, reducing the heat to low to maintain a simmer.
7. Preheat oven to 300°F.
8. Slow cook in oven for 3 to 4 hours, until meat is completely fork
tender.
9. Once cool enough to handle, shred meat finely, discarding any
bones.
10. Taste and adjust seasoning according to preference.
11. If time allows, make this sauce in advance. Flavors will fully develop
if left overnight to cool in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information per serving (based on ½ cup):
Calories 184 (45% from fat) • carb. 5g • pro. 14g • fat 11g • sat. fat 4g
chol. 51mg • sod. 400mg • calc. 20mg • fiber 1g
Classic Meatballs
For melt-in-your-mouth meatballs, look no further. Spaghetti's match
made in heaven!
Makes about 24 meatballs, 4 to 6 servings
1
cup fresh breadcrumbs (from about 2 ounces day-old
white bread, crusts removed)
¹⁄ ³
cup buttermilk
¾
pound ground beef, preferably 20 percent fat
¾
pound ground pork
3
large garlic cloves, minced
1
small onion, finely chopped
2
large eggs, lightly beaten
½
cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese,
plus more for serving
1½
teaspoons kosher salt
¾
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼
cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1
tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2
teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
Extra virgin olive oil for coating the sheet pan
Warm tomato sauce, for serving
1. In a small bowl, pour the buttermilk over the breadcrumbs and mix
to evenly moisten. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile,
prepare the rest of the meatball mixture.
2. Break up the ground meat into a large mixing bowl. Add the
remaining ingredients along with the reserved panade (the soaked
breadcrumb mixture) and use your hands to gently fold the meat
over itself, incorporating everything together, being careful not to
over-mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Lightly coat a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil. Portion mixture
using a medium cookie scoop to get 24 meatballs (approximately 2
tablespoons of mixture; 1½ ounces if you have a food scale). Use
moistened hands to shape into balls and arrange 1 inch apart on
the prepared sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for
30 minutes (skip this step if pressed for time, but it helps meatballs
to hold their shape in the oven).
4. Fifteen minutes before baking the meatballs, position oven racks to
the middle and top of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
24