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1
Lay the beef slices flat. Distribute the hard-boiled egg halves, pine nuts, drained raisins, and parsley evenly across each slice. Roll each slice tightly around the filling and tie with kitchen twine — loosely, so the twine does not cut through the meat during the long braise. The braciole are ready when each roll holds its shape firmly without the twine having to bear excess tension.
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2
Place the cold olive oil and the cold onion in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot — a terracotta or enamelled cast-iron vessel is traditional. Add the braciole, pork rib, sausage, and cotenna if using, all cold from the outset. This is the Neapolitan method: the meat enters the pot cold, without prior searing in a separate pan. Set the flame to medium-low. Cook, turning the meats occasionally, until the onion is completely softened and translucent and the meats have taken on a little colour from the pot's heat — approximately 15–20 minutes. The pot should smell of sweet rendered pork fat and softened onion with no sharp rawness remaining.
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3
Crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand directly into the pot, discarding any fibrous core pieces. Stir to submerge all the meats. Bring to the first gentle bubble, then reduce the flame to the absolute minimum — the Neapolitan 'pippiare': the surface of the sauce should show only an occasional, lazy bubble, never a rolling simmer. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: a ragù cooked at too high a heat in 2 hours will not develop the sweetness, body, or silk that 6–8 hours of pippiare produces; there is no shortcut that arrives at the same place.
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4
Cook uncovered for 6–8 hours, stirring every 30–45 minutes with a long wooden spoon to prevent the base from catching. The sauce should reduce by approximately one-third over the full cooking time. If reduction is proceeding too quickly, lower the heat further or set a heat-diffuser beneath the pot; if too slowly, raise it fractionally. The sauce is approaching readiness when its surface is deeply brick-red, the oil has risen and pooled in glossy orange rings, and the smell has shifted from sharp tomato to something jamlike and round.
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5
In the final 30 minutes, resist the urge to stir more frequently. The sugo at the very bottom of the pot will caramelise lightly — this is the coppino, the most prized portion, traditionally given to the cook. Remove the meats from the sauce with a slotted spoon and set aside, covered, to rest for the secondo. Remove and discard the kitchen twine from the braciole. Taste the sauce and adjust for salt. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon thickly without running, and a line drawn through it holds for a moment before closing.
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6
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Break the ziti by hand into thirds and cook until just short of al dente — the pasta will finish in the sauce. Drain, reserving a ladleful of pasta water. Toss the ziti with several ladlefuls of the ragù and a little pasta water if needed to loosen. The pasta is ready to plate when each piece is evenly coated in a sauce that clings rather than pools in the bowl.
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7
Serve the pasta as the primo, finished at the table with grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Follow with the braised meats — braciole, rib, and sausage — as the secondo, accompanied by any remaining ragù spooned alongside.