Calabrese Sunday Sauce
The traditional Italian Sunday meal consists of red sauce and meat. My Calabrese Sunday Sauce makes me smile as I put in all the ingredients like nonna did. I love going to the local butcher here in Leamington for the Sunday sauce meat. Nonna used a trio of meats; a good Sunday sauce has beef, pork and veal.
We lived in some of the tiniest apartments when we came from Italy, but the kitchen always had big flavours. I remember the kitchen always full of people; in those days there were no kitchen Islands; everyone sat at the kitchen table while nonna cooked. Visitors enjoyed coffee and cakes, and sometimes the visiting women helped with the food or with cooking advice. It was loud and crowded, but it was fun.
My childhood was loaded with fun and good times, especially in the kitchen. Today I work at a big kitchen Island with all the gadgets one could dream of, but my heart lives in those little tiny kitchens. It was there my love for cooking began and my nonna passed on her recipes one ingredient at a time.
Local meat products go into this recipe today.
The beef shank hits the pan.
Browning the beef shank with the Italian sausage.
The aroma and the sizzling made it hard for me not to eat some, and I did.
Don’t turn the meat until it is ready and then add some red wine.
Our Italian liquid gold; my homemade marinara from our local Leamington tomatoes. Nothing compares to this.
When the sauce hits the pan there is a tremendous aroma that fills the air.
My Calabrese style bracciole ready for browning.
Sizzling hot and my lens covers with steam.
My plate and heart fill with joy, and I am transported back to that tiny kitchen with big flavours in Little Italy on James St. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Calabrese Sunday Sauce
This is an array of meats with our pasta.
Ingredients
The Sauce
- 6 Italian Sausage links cut in thirds
- 1 whole beef shank
- 10 braciole
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 jars marinara sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 clove garlic
The Braciole
- 10 pieces thinly sliced beef rump, top round or bottom round
- 1 lb ground veal
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
The Sauce
-
In a large pot place the olive oil and when hot add the beef shank.
Start browning this meat.
Next add the sausage, garlic and Italian seasoning.
When everything turns golden brown, add in the red wine.
Now pour in the marinara sauce.
Sprinkle with sugar and cook slowly for about one hour.
After one hour add the braciole.
Cook for another 2 hours.
The braciole
-
I take ground veal and add the egg, water, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, chopped parsley and salt.
Mix it all up using your hands.
Place the steak on a board and scoop out about half a cup of the ground meat mixture into the middle.
Roll up tucking everything in.
Use string or toothpicks.
In a large pan add 2 tbsp canola oil.
Brown the braciole.
Remove from heat and let cool.
If you use kitchen string, cut it and remove it before place the braciole in the sauce.
If you used toothpicks, place the braciole in the sauce and then remove them after you take the braciole out of the sauce.
My wife’s family is from Calabria as well. I will definitely make this . We live in Stamford Connecticut and I Calabria there is a sign that says sister city in America is Stamford. Would love to get a recipe for their honey and fig biscotti that is in English, although fig honey is hard to find. Any authentic cookie for that area I would like to try. Family names here are Amato and DePreta my family name is Conca, my grandfather came here from Sicily in the 20’s. I LOVE ❤ Italian food just have to eat it sparingly it settles on my hips and stomach 😋
Glad you are enjoying some of the recipes. I have a honey log recipe that I am working on with my mom. She is 87 and helps us remember the recipes. I will ask her about some of those names you mention. My dad’s family is from Sicily, the Palermo region. It is one of my favourite spots on earth. Thanks for sharing, I love the family stories and connections to our beautiful Italia.
Hi Renata,
My family is from Calabria and from what I understand some of them ended up in Canada, however, the elders are all gone and I can’t get much info about some of my family that may be still there. My maiden name is Scullino, do you happen to know anyone with that name???
Thanks,
Sandy
I sent you a private message by email. Love to connect with others when I can. Thanks
Can you please tell me what braciole is??
Recipe calls for 10, but I googled it and it says braciole is the name of a dish.
Braciole are tiny meat rolls. Look at the recipe it gives you the instructions on making them. They are
mostly a Southern Italian delicacy. Hope you enjoy making them!!
Renata, my sister also lives in Leamington but we cannot get across the border to see her in a year. I will try this Sunday sauce
Marty
Hopefully you can get over to Leamington soon. We are all doing our best to get that second vaccine. Yes, my mom’s
way of making the sauce takes a little extra time, but it’s worth it. It’s the combination of the meats that makes this spectacular.
I am also going to do a post on making homemade passata steps. Fresh is always best.
Stay safe and just think of that reunion celebration with your sister.
Great recipes? Do you have your nonna’s stuffed eggplant recipe posted? Thank you
I am working on it. My mom is 86 and still cooks, I am trying to figure out quantities. Now the one my nonna made was bread based. Sometimes different regions make it with different ingredients.
My mouth is watering after reading this. I grew up with braciole that had a bread stuffing similar to yours but without the meat; it also had raisins.
My Sicilian side uses raising, but the Calabrese don’t. They like to use meat and more meat!!
My Sicilian side uses raisins, but the Calabrese recipe calls for meat. LOL