Italian American Meat Sauce Recipe
Tried it? Rate this Recipe:
|
Category: |
Category: |
|
Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2-28 oz. cans pureed tomatoes (look for brands like Pagliacci or Dei Fratelli)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano variety are the best)
8 oz. can tomato paste
3 to 4 lbs. mixed meat on-the-bone (the sauce is all about stretching the cheap cuts through slow cooking; you can use pork neck bones, beef neck bones, beef short ribs, pork country-style ribs, oxtails, veal stew meat with bones)
1 lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild)
1 to 1 1/2 cups deglazing liquid (you can use red wine, white wine or beef broth; red wine & beef broth gives the sauce a richer "beef stew" flavor, white wine gives a brighter flavor)
1 to 2 cups of water
1 cup onion, minced (yellow or Spanish are the best)
1 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
1 handful fresh Italian parsley (also known as flat parsley)
3 garlic cloves, whole, but smashed slightly with the flat end of a knife
1 to 2 bay leaves
1/2 to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme
1 to 2 tsp. sugar or honey
kosher salt
garlic powder
ground black pepper
olive oil
rigatoni or other pasta
|
|
Directions: |
Directions:The nice thing about this recipe is that, except for the pasta, it's basically a one-pot meal. I use a Dutch oven, but any sauce pot will work as long as it is pretty deep and has a thick bottom. Salt and pepper the meat on all sides. Be liberal with the salt. Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in the oil. Do this in shifts so you don't crowd the pan. Cook 2 to 5 minutes per side until well-browned. You want a nice crust to form. If any of your pieces are particularly fatty, you can stand them up on their fatty side to render it a bit. Set the meat aside on a platter to use later. (Optional: drain some of the fat from browning the meat.) Lower the heat to medium-low and add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned. Discard the garlic. This is to infuse the oil with garlic flavor without burning the garlic and making the sauce bitter. Add the onions and cook until browned well and soft, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Salt and pepper the onions lightly while they cook. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Not sure why this makes a difference, but it does. Maybe it's a slight caramelization effect. If using sausage, start broiling or grilling it now. You want it to be basically fully cooked; set aside. Deglaze the pan with your liquid of choice. You may need to raise the heat a bit. If using wine, it should bubble up immediately. Stir briskly, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Cook down the liquid for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cans of tomatoes and puree. Raise the heat to medium. Stir in the fresh herbs and half of the cheese. Cook for a minute while stirring. Add the dried herbs and sugar or honey. Return the meat (except the sausage) to the sauce. Add 1 to 2 cups of water. Set the heat to low and simmer covered for an hour and a half. When the time is up, uncover slightly and simmer for another hour to an hour and a half. Check the meat. It should be fork tender. If not, keep cooking in intervals of 20 minutes. When the meat is fork tender, remove it from the sauce. Stir in the rest of the cheese. Taste and check for seasoning. You may need to add some garlic powder, salt and pepper. If using sausage, slice it into pieces or chunks and warm in the sauce now. Shred the meat. It should already be falling apart if you cooked it long enough. Discard the bones. Return the shredded meat to the sauce pot and cook for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Check for enough salt once more. Serve over pasta of your choice. I prefer rigatoni. Enjoy with family, friends, and a nice bottle of red wine. |
|
Preparation
Time: |
Preparation
Time:3+ hours |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Whether you call it Sunday gravy, red sauce or ragu, this sauce, loosely based on ragu alla napoletana, is popular among Italian Americans in New York, New Jersey and Chicago. Grandma never gave it a name, nor did she follow a recipe. Each time was slightly different, but always delicious. Besides her butterhorn rolls and chicken soup, this is by far my favorite of all the dishes Grandma used to make. Because of the long cooking time, this sauce is best saved for a lazy Sunday or a family party. Four hours of simmering is no time when you are chatting with good company and munching on appetizers.
|
|
This recipe for Italian American Meat Sauce is from