It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon. My daughter is off branding with friends in Battle Mountain. I’m having a quiet day doing laundry and tidying up around the house. About an hour ago, I started a little batch of Sunday gravy aka homemade spaghetti sauce. I had about half a package of Italian sausage my neighbor made and a Hungarian partridge in the freezer. Those two ingredients along with garlic, onion, mushrooms, herbs and a little red wine got the party started and I’ll add my favorite canned sauce once everything else gets tender. Haven’t decided between some deliciously thick and chewy orecchiette pasta or just eating my sauce over yesterday’s homemade sourdough, both options sound pretty tasty right about now.
Now that all our laundry is washed, dried and folded, Ive decided to relax. I’d let a dog or two in, but they are wet and correspondingly stinky, so I just went out and gave them a little extra kibble on the porch. I walked out back and eight extremely fat kitties are curled up together on their electric blanket in their custom cat house. I went back inside, poured myself a Guinness and sat down to You’ve Got Mail. A perfectly poured pint of Irish stout and classic rom com on a drizzly day just feel right.
My indoor kitty Rodney the rodent eater moved from his perch at the back of the couch to my lap, so all is well with the world. I thought about a fire, but finished my Guinness and my movie wrapped up. The rain hasn’t abated, so my remaining outdoor activities will have to wait because I have no interest in catching cold or melting today. I gave my Sunday gravy a final stir and I have to say, it’s delicious. Loui Cerri long ago taught me the high points of making a great chukar or quail flavored Sunday gravy, and I’m glad that I was a good student, because it makes me happily think of him every-time I make one. Throwing in the Hun that a hunter gave me last hunting season was inspired. It adds texture and tenderness to the sweet-savory Italian sausage. I’ve reached the decision point on supper, and I’m gonna go with yesterday’s sourdough, sliced and made into perfect garlic toast under the broiler. Then I’ll add a couple healthy spoonfuls of my sauce, some freshly grated Parmesan and I’ll have heaven in a bowl. I may even add the last of last night’s Caesar salad, and my garlic overdose will be complete.
A lot of people think rainy days are a waste, and while I know that there are a multitude of things to accomplish outside, I really feel like this kind of day can be a balm for the soul, if you just ease in and as the Beatles said, Let it Be!
Sunday Gravy
I started with a Hungarian partridge, but I love it made with with a local quail, pheasant, cotton tail or even part of a turkey carcass.
I added a little (about 1/2 lb of Italian sausage
If you don’t have either, a lb of good hamburger works just beautifully.
Brown up the meat and add
1/2 an onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Basil
Oregano
2-3 whole cloves or a dash of clove powder
A finely diced half jalapeño or a little red pepper
2/3 cup good dry red wine
Cover and let everything cook in a saucepan on low until meat is tender, usually about an hour unless it’s just burger, then only about twenty minutes. Remove the bird and pick the meat off the bones and return diced meat to the pot. Discard bones/carcass.
Add a can or jar of your favorite prepared spaghetti sauce (my fav is Hunts Spicy and Zesty). You could add some canned San Marzano tomatoes and go full blown homemade, but honestly, why work so darn hard? Put the lid back on and let everything dance on low for about 45 minutes, then turn off the heat and let everything just sit and meld till you are close to supper time. You can double or triple your recipe by adding more sauce, just adjust the herbs to taste. We like our sauce spicy, so adjust your red pepper or jalapeños accordingly.
Decide on your favorite shape of pasta, maybe some creamy polenta or sliced and toasted bread, and enjoy with some good Parmesan on top.
Kris Stewart is a rancher in Paradise Valley, Nevada.