Sauté onion and, if you like, a bit of garlic sautéed gently in olive oil or (better) lard until soft and translucent.

Turn up the heat a bit and add your sausages and spareribs. Allow the meat to brown lightly. Depending on the size of the pot and how much meat you are using, you may need to do the browning in batches to avoid crowding them.

Once lightly browned, season with salt and pepper, and then pour over a nice slurp of red wine and allow it to evaporate.

Then add enough tomato purée to cover the meat. Lower the heat and cover. Let simmer for a good hour or more, until the meat is tender and the sauce is nice and thick and rich.

Meanwhile, make a batch of polenta in the usual fashion (see Notes).

When you are ready to eat, pour the polenta on to a large serving bowl or—if you really want to eat it in the traditional manner—on a communal wooden board known in Italian as a spianatoia. Make a small well in the center with a wooden spoon and into the well place your meat, covered with a generous lathering of sauce. Serve with grated pecorino cheese.