Grandpop's Sunday Sauce comes from a small collection of recipes handed down to me by my aunt. The original recipe for his restaurant makes about seven gallons so I've converted it to about 3 quarts for home kitchens. This is the quintessential Italian tomato sauce I had growing up and I'm happy to share it with you.
Heat vegetable oil over medium low heat in a large stock pot. Cook finely diced onions for 3 minutes or until tender then stir in sliced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add 3/4 pound of equal parts beef, pork, and veal and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper then add tomato paste. Stir the pot for a few minutes until tomato paste has been incorporated with the meat. Add 1/4 cup red wine allowing the alcohol to cook off.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, and 2 cups water. Cover loosely and simmer for 2-3 hours. Add 1/4 cup water at a time if the sauce becomes too thick and begins bubbling too much.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup red wine about a half hour before the sauce is done.
Prep a medium bowl to collect the solids and a large bowl with a strainer and a serving spoon to collect the sauce. Add a few spoons of sauce to the strainer at a time and, in a circular motion, press it in to the bowl with the back of the spoon. Press as much liquid out of the solids as possible. Scrape out the solids and discard in to the medium bowl. Reserve for topping or filling pasta.