Sunday Gravy with Meatballs, Sausage, and Pork Shoulder

By: Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Sunday Gravy with Meatballs, Sausage, and Pork Shoulder
Our IP Version of RAO’S Sunday Gravy with Meatballs, Sausage, and Pork Shoulder.This copycat is the real- deal, no-joke, Italian-American classic tomato gravy from one of the most storied Italian restaurants in the United States. Originally a dish that proudly takes all of Sunday to create, the cooking goes much faster in an IP.

Here’s our best tip (and a technique that will slow you down a bit): Brown (seriously!) all the meatballs, sausage, beef, and pork. The secret to Sunday Gravy is all the work you put into adding flavor both to the meat and the sauce through proper browning.

There’s one missing component in this recipe that’s part of the original served at the restaurant: braciola. You can sometimes find these stuffed meat rolls at the butcher counter of high-end supermarkets and almost always at Italian markets. If you want, buy two 8-ounce braciola rolls, brown them after you’ve finished browning everything else, then add them to the pot for pressure cooking with the blade steak and pork shoulder, removing the rolls with them after cooking.

Finally, a small finesse. The tomatoes should be San Marzanos. Yes, you can use regular canned tomatoes. The “gravy” won’t be the same. Standard canned tomatoes don’t have the herbaceous, sweet flavor of San Marzanos. Look for them in almost all North American supermarkets with the other canned tomatoes.
cuisine icon Cuisine
American
cuisine icon Course
Dinner, Main Course
cuisine icon Difficulty
Medium
cuisine icon Duration
1-2 hours
cuisine icon Cooking Technique
Pressure Cook, Sauté
cuisine icon Keywords
1 inch thick, 1-2 hours, 1/4 cup, 3 1/2 cups, 3/4 pound, 6-8 servings, american, breakfast links), Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, california chardonnay, contributed, cooked and drained pasta such as spaghetti, cut into 1- inch- thick “steaks” or wedgesabout the size of the blade steaks, cut into 4-inch pieces, dinner, dried oregano, fennel seeds, finely grated parmigiano-reggiano, finely shredded fresh basil leaves, for garnishing, italian- seasoned dried bread crumbs, large egg, lean ground beef preferably 93% lean or more, links), main course, marzano tomatoes packed in juice, medium, medium garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed, olive oil, onion powder, or rotelle, pasta, pasta recipes, pressure cook, red pepper flakes, rigatoni, sauté, table salt, tomato paste

serving icon Servings
6-8 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb lean ground beef preferably 93% lean or more
  • 1/2 cup Italian- seasoned dried bread crumbs
  • 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/4 cup
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 medium garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed
  • 12 oz sweet Italian sausages (do not use breakfast links), 3/4 pound, cut into 4-inch pieces
  • 12 oz hot Italian sausages (do not use breakfast links), 3/4 pound, cut into 4-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef shoulder blade steaks about 1 inch thick
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into 1- inch- thick “steaks” or wedgesabout the size of the blade steaks
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine such as a California chardonnay
  • One 28-ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes packed in juice, 3 1/2 cups
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • Cooked and drained pasta such as spaghetti, rigatoni, or rotelle
  • Finely shredded fresh basil leaves, for garnishing
Instructions
  • Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, cheese, and egg in a large bowl until well combined. (Your clean hands work best.) Form this mixture into 8 evenly sized meatballs.
  • Press Saute and set it for Medium, Normal, or Custom 300°F for 30 Minutes. If needed, press Start.
  • As the pot heats, warm the oil in the insert set in a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic bits are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and discard them. (You’ve just made garlic oil!)Stir in the macaroni and continue cooking until little simmering bubbles begin to appear in the pot. Turn off the SAUTÉ function and lock the lid onto the cooker.
  • Add the sausage pieces and brown them well on all sides, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a nearby large bowl.
  • Add the prepared meatballs. Brown them well, turning very gently to keep them together, about 4 minutes. Use that slotted spoon to get them into the same bowl.
  • Add the beef and brown it well, turning once in a while, about 6 minutes. Don’t stint: the more brown, the more flavor. Use a slotted spoon or kitchen tongs to get the beef into a second large bowl.
  • Add the pork and do the same: Brown it well, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Get the pork into that second large bowl with the beef.
  • Pour the wine into the insert and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the insert. Use your clean hands to crush the whole tomatoes one by one and get them into the insert (along with any juices from the can). Or you can dump in the whole can into the insert and use a potato masher to crush them. Stir in the oregano, onion powder, fennel seeds, salt, and red pepper flakes.
  • Nestle only the beef and pork into the sauce. Set the bowl with the sausages and meatballs in the fridge. Turn off the Saute function and lock the lid onto the cooker.
  • Max Model: Set for Pressure Cook on Max level for 25 Minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.

    For all other Instant Pot Models: Set for Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 30 Minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  • When the pot has finished cooking, turn it off and let the pressure return to normal for 15 minutes. Then use the quick- release method to get rid of any residual pressure in the pot. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker.
  • Transfer the beef and pork pieces to a serving platter. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Nestle the meatballs and sausages into the sauce in the pot. Lock the lid back onto the cooker.
  • Set for Pressure Cook/Manual on High Pressure for 8 Minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  • When the pot has finished cooking a second time, use the quick- release method to bring the pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Transfer the meatballs and sausages to that serving platter.
  • Press Saute and set it for Medium, Normal, or Custom 300°F for 10 Minutes. If needed, press Start.
  • As the sauce comes to a simmer, stir in the tomato paste. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened somewhat, about 2 minutes. Turn off the Saute function and ladle a little of this sauce over the meat on the platter. Serve the remaining sauce with your choice of cooked pasta, garnishing the platter or the servings with shredded fresh basil leaves.
Notes
  • Other Pots
  • • For a 3-quart Instant Pot, you must halve almost all of the ingredients except you must still use ½ cup of wine.
  • • For a 10-quart Instant Pot, you must increase all of the ingredient amounts by 50 percent.
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