The Mauro Family Sunday Gravy Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet or a 5 1/2- to 6-quart stovetop-safe slow cooker insert over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until brown all over, 7 to 8 minutes. Push the sausage to the side of the cooker. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits.
• Add the short ribs, Italian herbs, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, onions, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt and some pepper to the insert and put it into the slow cooker. If you're using a skillet, transfer the tomato mixture to the slow cooker at this point. Cover the cooker, set it on low and cook until the beef is very tender, 6 to 8 hours.
• When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Transfer the sausage and beef to a cutting board, slice into serving portions and arrange on a serving platter. Toss the pasta with some of the sauce and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve the meat and pasta with the Parmesan and remaining sauce on the side. Freeze any leftover sauce for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Heat a skillet to medium heat and brown sausage until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes a side. Reserve the fat in the pan and set aside the sausage. Add the butter to reserved fat and melt. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and cook until blonde, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and some salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in the chopped chives.
• For the sandwich build: With a fork, carefully split a hot Grapevine KY Buttermilk Biscuit in half. On the bottom biscuits, drizzle some honey, and then place the sausage patties delightfully on top. Slather on some gravy and top with the other biscuit half -- simple, yet mind blowing.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet (preferably 12 inch) into the oven to preheat. Chill a large mixing bowl, pastry cutter, the flour and 1 stick of the butter in the freezer 15 minutes before assembling the biscuits.
• Add the flour to the chilled mixing bowl. Working quickly, cut 1 stick of the butter into the flour using the chilled pastry cutter (or your fingers); the goal here is pea-size balls of butter. In batches, add in the buttermilk until the dough is cohesive yet still moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly press into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or the business end of a dry measuring cup, cut out 10 biscuits. (Use the extra dough to cook up a big piece of shortcake for dessert....strawberry shortcake!)
• Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add the oil. Place the dough rounds into the hot skillet, right up against each other, and brush with the melted butter. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes.