Name: Slow-Cooker Italian Sunday Gravy
Total time: 7 h
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 2 pounds hot or sweet Italian sausage; 2 onions , chopped fine; 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste; 12 garlic cloves , minced; 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained; 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree; 2 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs , trimmed; 1½ pounds flank steak , trimmed; Salt and pepper; chopped fresh basil

Why This Recipe Works

We love the flavor and heartiness of Sunday gravy, but not the laundry list of ingredients or the hours of stovetop monitoring. For a streamlined recipe, we turned to our slow cooker and narrowed the meat selection down to three: flank steak, for meaty flavor; country-style spareribs, for porky, fall-off-the-bone meat; and sausage, for its spicy, sweet kick. Using the flavorful drippings left behind from browning the sausage to sauté our aromatics infused the whole dish with flavor. And a combination of drained diced tomatoes, tomato puree, and tomato paste ensured a rich, thick sauce.

Instructions

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining sausage; transfer to slow cooker.

Add onions to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes and tomato puree.

Season spareribs and steak with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork and beef are tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer sausages, spareribs, and steak to cutting board and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred ribs and steak into rough 1-inch pieces; discard fat and bones. Slice sausages in half crosswise.

Using large spoon, skim fat from surface of sauce. Stir in shredded meat and sausages and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons basil for every 8 cups sauce.