Nirvana Italian Gravy

Total Time: 6 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/2-3/4 lb short rib of beef (4)
• 1/2 lb oxtail (6)
• 1/2 lb country-style spareribs
• 1 (1/2 lb) prime rib roast beef bones or 1 (1/2 lb) beef neck bone
• salt
• pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
• 1 sweet italian sausage link, casings removed
• 1 hot italian sausage link, casings removed
• 1 1/2 lbs unseasoned lamb sausage
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 bunch italian parsley, stems removed, finely chopped
• 12 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced
• 1/2 cup pesto sauce, made without cheese (available frozen) or 1/2 cup pine nuts (available frozen)
• 2 cups red wine (merlot)
• 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 10 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 106 ounces tomato puree
• 106 ounces tomato sauce
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 1/2 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and stewed, can use canned
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• water, to cover
• 2 allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
• 3 tablespoons cream sherry

Recipe

• 1 cover the bottom of a stock pot (at least 12 quart) with olive oil and set over medium heat.
• 2 add short ribs, oxtails, country style spare ribs and beef neck bone and brown them with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• 3 cook until both sides of meat are browned.
• 4 remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
• 5 in the same pan add the sausage and ground beef.
• 6 when ground meats are cooked through, drain grease and oil from pan.
• 7 if there are any large pieces of the ground meats, break them up or pulse in a food processor.
• 8 add to bowl with other meats, set aside.
• 9 pour 1/4 cup olive oil into pot and saute onions, italian parsley, garlic, shallots, jalapeno peppers, and pesto.
• 10 add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion.
• 11 when onions are limp, add all of the reserved meats.
• 12 over medium heat, add 2 cups red wine.
• 13 while this mixture is cooking, in a separate saute pan, add 1/4 cup olive oil and over medium heat saute mushrooms.
• 14 raise heat to medium high and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
• 15 when mushrooms are browned add them to meats along with the tomato puree, tomato sauce and stock.
• 16 in a food processor pulse stewed tomatoes with tomato paste until smooth and add them to the pot.
• 17 add allspice, italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion.
• 18 the gravy must cover the meat and come close to the top of the pot.
• 19 reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook uncovered for approximately 4 to 5 hours.
• 20 stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• 21 when meat on oxtail is tender, take all of the whole meats out of the pot, leaving the ground meats inches.
• 22 to complete gravy, add 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, fresh basil and cream sherry.
• 23 serve the meat with gravy and pasta.
• 24 remove the rest of the gravy from the heat and let cool for 2 hours at room temperature then divide into pint containers and freeze.