Monday I told you about my day of cooking soup, stew and sauce. Well, today I share with you my sauce recipe. I wanted to make a substantial sauce, something that would stick to your ribs, so a meat sauce that would simmer for a few hours on low heat was just the thing. Instead of using just ground beef and pork, I also added some thick cubes of beef chuck which would get nice and tender in the sauce and add that heartiness that I was craving. I didn't use a recipe, just kind of winged it. It's definitely the type of thing that's perfect for freezing for later use.
Hearty Meat Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. beef chuck cut into cubes
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package white mushrooms, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbs. fresh or dry oregano
2 cans whole plum tomatoes, blended with a hand blender
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Season the cubes of beef with salt and pepper. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add a single layer of beef. Sear on all sides and set aside on a plate. Repeat until all the beef cubes are seared.
Add a little more olive oil to the pot and add the onions. Saute till soft. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute.
Crumble in the ground beef and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cook till meat has browned. Return the cubes of beef to the pot and mix together.
Pour in the blended tomatoes. Incorporate the herbs. Mix well. You may want to add a little sugar into the sauce to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to low. Let simmer for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pasta of your choice.
Happy cooking!
P.S. Watch out for my guest post this Friday on Chef Dennis' blog More Than A Mount Full. If you haven't already checked out his blog, you should take a moment to do so. His recipes are perfectly executed and his food photography makes you want to reach into your computer to take a bite.
Not just my ribs...this would stick in my mind for days - this is a great sauce ... delicious!
Posted by: Kate @ Diethood.com | 01/20/2011 at 06:48 AM
Another nice hearty meat sauce. Can't go wrong with that. Congrats on the guest post with Chef Dennis. Looking forward to that one.
Posted by: Foodtographer Lv | 01/20/2011 at 05:25 PM
Came from Chef Dennis site. Lovely guest post. Love your stew. Love this pasta dish, too. The meat sauce looks very delicious.
Posted by: MaryMoh | 01/21/2011 at 01:48 AM
Saw you on Guest Post Friday with that wonderful stew.
Congratulations. Your photos are amazing.
Posted by: Becky | 01/21/2011 at 02:20 AM
Hi Alina
Thanks so much for such a wonderful guest post!! It is a pleasure having you on MTMF! I love wide pasta noodles, and I almost never see them because my wife does not...sigh
your meat sauce looks like a wonderful topping for those noodles!
Have a great weekend!
Dennis
Posted by: Chef Dennis | 01/21/2011 at 02:22 AM
I saw you on Guest Post Friday with that wonderful stew recipe. Congratulations. Your photos are amazing!
Posted by: Becky | 01/21/2011 at 02:24 AM
Bright, fresh, satisfying. It doesn't get much better than that! Ideal with a glass of something full-bodied and red.
Posted by: Cakewalker | 01/21/2011 at 06:34 AM