Fearing I'd make everything taste the same if I kept putting in all the "secret ingredients" I could think of into everything I cook, I've settled on the Spaghetti Sauce as my epitome of flavorful things to make.
Seriously! One can't go through life giving in to all the urges all the time. Save it for when you make Spaghetti Sauce!
Enough talk. In order of importance:
- Canned whole tomatoes. I started to puree them in a food-processor because the kids were picky. Now I actually prefer them pureed.
- Ground beef. About a pound.
- Dried good-quality oregano. About a tablespoon.
- Yellow onion. Other kinds work too.
- Garlic. Depending on potency, one to six cloves.
- Celery. One to four stalks. OK, two.
- Salt and pepper. Put some in every now and then, but taste right before serving to make sure it's right.
- Carrots. Grab as many as you can wrap your fingers around.
- Peppers. Whatever colour you like. I usually go between zero and four.
- Rosemary. Probably less than a tablespoon.
- Thyme. Around a teaspoon.
So far so good. Pretty standard fare. Now for the good stuff.
- Anchovies. Just two or three of the little guys. No more. No less. For the record, I don't like anchovies. I don't like salt either -- by itself! It's purely meant as a bass-line here. It adds a very nice vibe in the back. Even if you don't like anchovies, try them here. Nobody will know (but they'll like the taste). The anchovies are the only reason why I don't think this would be as a good as a vegan meal.
- Ground pork. Another pound of this stuff. The first time I did this, I couldn't really tell the difference. I have really started to notice it now.
- Black olives. A full can (8 oz?). I throw them into the food-processor at the same time as the canned tomatoes. The smaller the cut-up pieces, the less noticeable for those who *think* they don't like them.
- Red wine. I have tried different ones, and it's shameful when I find a bad one (for this recipe). I've never regretted a Chianti. About a half cup. A full cup is OK too. Probably not three cups.
- Chicken stock. I don't always add this, but it can only help. Probably one cup.
- Chili pepper. Because of the wife and kids, I usually just cut up a quarter of a pepper into the sauce. I'd probably add a whole one. I use the little guys (like birds mouth, or scotch bonnet). I buy lots, and just let them dry. I cut the scotch bonnets in half if I want to dry them. They dry better that way.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. Maybe three or four of them. I throw them in when everything is bubbling. After a few minutes, I take them out, and cut them into little bits and throw them back in.
Method:
Pre-heat a pot at medium heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
Coat the inside of the pot with some oil, and drop the meat in. Leave it alone for several minutes so it actually browns. Not just the colour that meat turns into when it cooks, but *dark* brown. If you brown it too much, it turns bitter. Not enough, and you don't get the strong flavor we're going for.
After enough browning, drain excess fat, and drop in the anchovies. Keep prodding the anchovies, and it will look like they melt away. Add chopped carrots, onion, and celery. Let them cook for a little while, but pay attention -- this is where I usually burn everything.
After cooking for a bit, cool things off with the red wine and the stock. This marks the beginning of a stewing process. I turn the temperature down a bit, put the lid on, and wait. Every once in a while, I will lift the lid, and try to break up the pieces of meat. Eventually they will crumble very easily. While it's cooking, I put the tomatoes and olives into a food-processor.
Once the meat has voluntarily crumbled, add the tomato-olive puree, and all the herbs. Leave it on medium-low heat, and let it slowly reduce to the consistency you want. This will take maybe ten to twenty minutes.
Taste the sauce, and correct the seasoning. Chop up the peppers and add them. Sometimes I add one more clove of garlic.
Enjoy!
