Ingredients:

  • 500g Lean Ground Beef (85/15)
  • 250g Ground Pork
  • 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
  • 60 ml Whole Milk
  • 120g Fresh Breadcrumbs (Panko or stale Italian bread)
  • 60g Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced (for meatballs)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Salt (Kosher or Sea)
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil, for browning
  • 1 kg Beef Short Ribs (bone-in or boneless), trimmed
  • 700g Pork Shoulder or Spareribs (bone-in preferred), cut into large chunks
  • 4 Italian Sausage links (sweet or mixed sweet/hot)
  • 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for soffritto)
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, finely diced
  • 2 Carrots, finely diced
  • 2 Celery stalks, finely diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced (for sauce base)
  • 170g Tomato Paste
  • 120 ml Dry Red Wine (e.g., Chianti or Merlot)
  • 2 x 794g cans Crushed Tomatoes (San Marzano preferred)
  • 1 x 411g can Whole Peeled Tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 1 large Parmesan Rind
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil
  • 1 tbsp Salt (for sauce)
  • 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
  • 1 kg Pasta (Rigatoni, Ziti, or Pappardelle)
  • Fresh Basil leaves, for garnish
  • Extra Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, for grating

Instructions:

  1. Combine all meatball ingredients (Ground Beef through Black Pepper) gently; do not overmix. Form into small golf-ball sized spheres (approx. 30–35 meatballs).
  2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides until a crust forms (about 5-7 minutes). They do not need to be cooked through. Remove and set aside.
  3. Dry the beef short ribs and pork pieces thoroughly, season generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear these meats until deeply browned on all sides (10-15 minutes). Remove and set aside with the meatballs.
  4. Add the sausage links to the skillet and brown lightly for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  5. Reduce heat to medium. Add the 1/4 cup of Olive Oil to the Dutch oven, scraping up any brown bits (fond) from the meat searing. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto) and sauté gently until soft and translucent (10-12 minutes).
  6. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until it darkens slightly. Stir in the sliced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
  7. Pour in the Red Wine, scraping up all the remaining fond from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half.
  8. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, hand-crushed whole peeled tomatoes, Parmesan Rind, Bay Leaves, Dried Herbs, Salt, and optional Sugar. Bring the entire mixture to a gentle simmer.
  9. Nestle the seared Short Ribs, Pork chunks, and the browned Sausage links into the sauce. The liquid should cover the meat. Reduce the heat to the absolute lowest setting possible—it should barely bubble. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
  10. After 3 hours, gently add the pre-browned meatballs to the pot. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for another 1 to 2 hours, or until the pork and beef are fork-tender.
  11. Carefully remove all large pieces of meat, the Parmesan rind, and bay leaves. Shred the pork and beef, and slice the sausage. Return the shredded meat and sliced sausage to the gravy.
  12. Toss the cooked pasta (al dente) with 2-3 ladlefuls of gravy until well coated.
  13. Serve the coated pasta immediately, topped with extra gravy, the pulled meats, meatballs, and a final grating of Pecorino Romano and fresh basil.