A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so youll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you dont like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
If youre a home cook you need a good meat sauce recipe up your sleeve. This is one of mine. Its secret is that I dont brown the meat. That way it doesnt toughen and need hours of braising to tenderize again. I also use a food processor to save a lot of knife work. Quick, easy and tasty!
Directions for: My Favourite Meat Sauce for Pasta
Ingredients
3 Tbsp of olive oil
3 onions, cut into large chunks
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
3 garlic cloves
2 cup of button mushrooms
3 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp of olive oil
6 oz of pancetta or bacon, sliced thinly
8 oz of ground beef
8 oz of ground pork
8 oz of ground veal
1 can of tomato paste
2 cup of red wine
2 bay leafs
1 large can of stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper
Directions
1. Pulse onions, carrots, garlic cloves, mushrooms, celery and olive oil in a food processor until finely chopped. This may need to be done in several batches.
2. Heat a large saut pan with the olive oil and add pancetta. Fry until golden, aromatizing the oil with the rich flavour of the Italian bacon. Add the vegetable mixture and saut until it begins to caramelize. Add ground meats and stir vigorously to break apart. Stir in the tomato paste, red wine, bay leaf and stewed tomatoes and continue to stir and break up any chunks of meat. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and all the flavours have blended. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
See more: Saute, Beef, North American, Dinner, Vegetables, Pork, Tomatoes, Fry