(Football) Sunday Gravy

Gravy to Italians back east means tomato sauce. Sunday gravy has all sorts of different meats, slowly braised in the sauce. I made this on the 1st Football Sunday a few weeks ago and it fed 8 big dudes plus more for leftovers. I made it in my slow cooker set on low for 10 hours. Use remaining sauce, less the meat, for the Porcini (or Portabella) Mushroom Parmesan recipe found in these notes.

•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 pound meaty beef short ribs
•2.5 pound pork shoulder roast, bone in
•1 pound Italian sausage, hot if preferred (meatballs, too, if you have room in slow cooker)
•Big handful dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in red wine until soft; reserve wine
•1 onion roughly chopped
•3 carrots roughly chopped
•8 garlic cloves chopped
•1/4 cup tomato paste
•2 (28- to 35-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
•1 cup red wine
•Pinch hot pepper flakes
•2 tbs marjoram
•2 tbs oregano
•Salt and freshly ground pepper
•1/8 lb sliced pancetta
•Grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add chopped pancetta until it renders a bit and add the pork shoulder after you pat it dry with a paper towel. Brown well on all sides and remove to slow cooker. Repeat with short ribs, sausage and place in cooker, too. Drain off most of the fat from the pot and sauté onion, mushrooms, carrots, turning occasionally until wilted. Add garlic and when it gets fragrant, add tomato paste and sauté for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Turn up stove to high and pour in reserved mushroom/wine soaking liquid and the cup of wine and scrape up any bits from pan. Cook, stirring, until reduced by 1/3. Add crushed tomatoes and herbs and cook mixture until comes back to boil. Add to slow cooker and cook on low 10 hours or overnight, or high for 5 hours. Remove bone from pork shoulder and place the pork and the other meats on a big platter, Serve sauce on side with your favorite pasta and a crusty loaf of bread. Have parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top of pasta. NOTE: this can be made in a large, heavy- bottomed Dutch oven, covered, simmering very slowly until pork falls of the bone.