Pull up a chair. I need to talk to you about the meats for the gravy.
When it comes to selecting what meats make a great gravy, I have to tell you that it’s personal. What my grand-mom and mom may have chosen to put in our gravy on any given Sunday probably differed from what another family down the block chose to use. There were lots of Sundays when my grand-mom didn’t add a pig’s foot and the gravy was delicious. I personally have made Sunday gravy using only beef short rib, and it was dynamite. But this recipe is my most nostalgic South Philly Sunday gravy: When the stars were aligned and my grand-mom was at the stove, this is what we would have.
And because gravy is a meal in itself (and not a pasta topping), I’ve included a variety so you have a greater selection to choose from at the table. People love options. How many times have I heard “Oh! I love flank steak!” or “Oh, pass me a little bite of sausage!” while I watch them skip a meatball entirely (what!?). Also, each meat I have selected offers something different: Some impart a wonderful pork flavor, like fennel sausage and pork ribs, and others take on richness when cooked in liquid low and slow, like flank steak. And the balance of meats in the meatball recipe creates a perfect ratio of fat, which translates to flavor. And a pig’s foot takes the gravy to another level, by adding some succulent natural gelatin. But if you’re anything like me, and you thrive on necessity being the mother of invention, you can use your passion for or the availability of another cut of meat and still make a wonderful gravy. If a pig’s foot doesn’t make it into your gravy, or if you want to swap out beef short rib for flank steak, just know that you will not fail. Quite the opposite; you’ll have captured the essence of big love cooking—making the gravy all yours.
My grandmother’s recipe uses a blend of ground beef, pork, and veal. And they are the same meatballs that I make for my Gravy Meatball Sliders (page 226) at Little Owl. Her secret ingredient? Cold water. When you add it to the meatball mix right before mixing, it adds necessary moisture to keep the meatballs juicy. Learning to cook with someone who grew up during the Great Depression, I noticed quickly that water was an important ingredient in many of her dishes. One difference in my meatballs versus my grand-mom’s is that I use panko bread crumbs in my meatballs, because I like the texture. I don’t really follow the rules for Italian cooking; I just use them as a guide and make them my own. Mix and chill your meatballs for at least 15 minutes in your refrigerator before browning. This gives the fat in the meatball time to congeal so that they will hold together in a tight, light ball. Or, you can also make them a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for the next day (even better). In the true spirit of abbondanza, you’ll make more than you need, so you’ll have plenty for leftovers. Pair them with homemade Gravy Meatball Slider Buns (page 225) and have a leftover gravy meatball slider feast. Or stick a fork in the fridge at 10 p.m. for a cold meatball snack, which is my favorite way to devour them. When it comes to meatballs, I surround myself with them. I think it’s my way of keeping my family close to me.
Prepare braciole.
Slices of thinly pounded flank steak are layered with a slice of salami, pepperoni, or cheese, then bound together in a little bundle held together by string or a toothpick—you can purchase one piece of flank steak and slice and pound it at home. Since flank steak has a grain that runs from one end of the meat to the other, you want to cut the steak thinly, against that grain, so that you can achieve tender slices. Place the steak horizontally on a clean surface. Using a sharp boning knife, and using one hand on top as a guide, hold your knife at a 45-degree angle, perpendicular to the steak, and cut about 10 diagonal slices. Cutting the steak at an angle will give your slices more surface area so that you can create a nice wide escalope (a fancy way to say “thin slice of meat”) to season and layer (or stuff). Lay plastic wrap across the steak pieces and pound each piece to 1/2 in [12 mm] thick using the flat side of a meat mallet. Or roll a wooden rolling pin or an unopened wine bottle over it (my favorite). If you ask your butcher to prepare it, just make sure you ask him or her to prepare slices cut against the grain and pounded so that you can stuff and roll them for small braciole. One really simple, old-school way of adding more depth of flavor to the braciole without overpowering it is to layer a slice of salami, soppressata, or pepperoni in the meat before rolling it up. You can even use prosciutto, chopped hard-boiled egg, and chunks of hard cheese to make it yours.
Italian sweet sausage with fennel seeds is a must.
Fiorella’s Sausage supplied everyone in South Philly with theirs. The fragrant fennel makes the flavor of this Sunday gravy distinctly my grandmother’s. And I love to add an extra teaspoon. The story goes, one Sunday morning, my grandmother couldn’t pick up fennel sausage for the gravy, so she added fennel seeds directly to the gravy pot.
And please use country pork ribs.
They are meatier and less fatty than baby back ribs because they aren’t ribs. Surprise! They are a cut of pork that is close to the shoulder blade. And they are perfect for low and slow cooking.
Now, on to the pig’s foot.
On special occasions, a pig’s foot would be added to our Sunday gravy. I don’t know anyone who makes Sunday gravy with a pig’s foot anymore, so if you toss it in, it’s sure to make it unique! And the gooey, gelatinous, awesome-tasting pork is dynamite. Most grocery store pig’s feet are sold cut in halves or quarters, already cleaned and debristled. You don’t need to do anything with it except add it to the gravy. When you pull it out of the pot, if you don’t want to put it on display on the table, that is fine, as some people think a pig’s foot is creepy. Save it for yourself. Or save it for your kid or their cousins that peek in on you while you’re cooking. Let them pick off of it. They might squeal “yuck! ewww!” at first, but once that piece of pig’s foot goes into their mouth, they’ll come to their senses—that’s what happened to me!
I love talking with you. So, let’s begin.
