Braised Lamb Sugo (Sunday Gravy)

5 from 1 vote

A rich pasta sauce made with three different cuts of slow braised tender lamb or goat. Makes 4-6 generous portions.

Prep Time45

Cook Time3

Chilling time8

Total Time11 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Goat, Lamb, lamb ragu recipe, Sunday Gravy

Servings: People

Calories: 407kcal

Cost: 20

1.5-2 lb piece of lamb on the bone, like a shank or shoulder
10 oz lamb sausage preferably flavored with fennel seed, like our lamb Italian sausage
1 6 oz tongue
5 cloves garlic
1 8 oz onion
¼ cup dry red wine
2 large cans tomato pureed and strained to remove seeds
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons cooking olive oil

Grated parmesan
½ tablespoon unsalted butter per serving
Small handful of chopped Italian parsley
Cooked pasta 4-5 oz per person, preferably a shell or hollow type such as rigatoni, penne or conchiglie

Season the shoulder or shank all over with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven or other braising pot with high sides, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and brown the Saratoga on all sides on medium-high heat, take your time, this will probably take about 20 minutes, but will help build good flavor in the finished dish. Preheat the oven to 275 F.
Remove the meat, discard the spent/cooked oil, replace with another tablespoon of fresh oil, and brown the sausages and the tongue.
Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add the wine to the pan, stirring to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then add the tomato puree. Add the browned lamb back to the pot, along with the bay leaves.

Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for 2.5 hours, or until the meat from the Saratoga moves freely from the bone. You can also simmer the pot on the stove, but it's easier for it to splatter and make a mess. After cooking, remove the pot from the oven and cool to room temperature, uncovered, then chill.

Scrape the congealed fat from the top of the dish and discard, then warm the sauce up to room temperature on medium heat. Remove the tongue, Saratoga and sausages from the pot. Using gloves to handle the meat, cut the meat from the Saratoga and then cut it into 1 inch pieces. Cut the sausages into ½ inch coins. Peel the tongue and cut into ½ inch cubes. Add the cut meats back to the pot.
Simmer the sauce for another 20-30 minutes on medium-low heat to reduce it and remove some of the water, double check the seasoning for salt and pepper and adjust as needed, then prepare to serve.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente.

To serve, for each 4-5 oz of cooked pasta, heat up a heaping cup of sauce. Warm the pasta in the sauce, adding the butter and mixing until incorporated. When the sauce is hot, toss in the parmesan and parsley to taste, and serve.

You can mix and match your favorite meats by substituting their weights.