Ragu - My recipe for meat sauce
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • 2, 29 oz cans of tomato puree
  • 1, 6 oz can of tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 ½ tblsp oregano
  • 1 ½ tblsp parsley
  • At least 4 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • Diced white onion
  • least ½ cup red wine (I use Chianti), wine should be to taste
  • 2 lbs ground beef, browned with 3-4 crushed garlic cloves, chopped onion and a dash of olive oil, strained
  • ½ lb sirloin steak, grilled rare and cubed
  • OR
  • 1 lb Italian sweet sausage, parboiled and then cut in 2” sections
  • Hand-rolled meatballs seared in garlic and olive oil
DIRECTIONS
  1. Mix the puree, paste, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley and begin cooking on low heat. Add 1tsp of sugar if you want to cut the acidity.
  2. While the tomato sauce is cooking, begin preparing the meats.
  3. When the meats are done, add them to the sauce.
  4. Add the wine with the meats and continue to cook on low and covered but not completely covered leave the lid open a crack.
  5. Sometimes I also add some more crushed garlic to the sauce.
  6. Let it cook for at least 4 hours, but 5-6 hours is much better,
  7. Meatballs:
  8. Hand mix 1 lb ground beef, 1 egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, oregano and 1 finely chopped garlic clove.
  9. Pour a thin line of olive oil around the outside edge of the frying pan.
  10. Add 1 finely chopped garlic clove to the oil. Apply heat.
  11. When the oil is hot, begin rolling out the meatballs and setting them in the oil.
  12. Turn the meatballs so that all sides are seared. They will still be pink inside.
  13. Add the meatballs to the sauce to slow cook.