Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Our Family's Sauce (or a loose translation) + Meatballs!


I say it's some sort of translation because in my family, it changes depending on the day and what's in the pantry. Any way that you throw it together the guarantee is that if you let it simmer for a few hours your house will smell like heaven. No pictures available of the meatballs. We always eat them too fast.

Red Sauce

1-2 lbs of either pig's feet, pork ribs, or pork neck bones
1 large onion minced
5-6 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
medium can of tomato paste
1 super large can of sauce, puree, or many fresh tomatoes pureed, or 5-6 smaller cans combined (some diced if you like chunks)
salt and pepper
2 large whole carrots or splash of sugar
some red wine to taste
dried or fresh basil
rosemary (just a tiny pinch)
parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper the meat. Saute meat in olive oil, about 4-5 minutes per side... not cooked through.
Remove meat and set aside, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. After the onions & garlic are tender, throw in a can of paste and saute it for awhile. Add a little salt and pepper.
After paste has been flavored for awhile, dump in the rest of you tomato products.
Put in two whole carrots to sweeten the sauce. Then about 1 cup red wine at this point and about 1 Tablespoon dried basil, some fresh rosemary (just a little), and the meat at this point. Bring to a boil and then set on simmer. Once it has cooked down check flavor and adjust salt/pepper and add another splash of wine and parmesan.

Let simmer until cooked down... I will taste and season again at this point. After it cooks down enough for the right flavor you can cover until ready to eat.
Add more wine, and parmesan cheese to taste.

Meatballs

1 lb meat (any combo you like)
4 med cloves garlic or 2 large minced very small or pureed with back of heavy knife and some salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 c Parmesan
3 sprigs fresh thyme, de-twigged
1 c panko breadcrumbs
Salt/pepper
Canola oil

Mix garlic with beaten eggs, thyme and cheese. Mix in meat until well combined. Add a little salt and lots of pepper. Add breadcrumbs plus a little more if mixture is too wet. Form into 2 inch balls.
Heat sauté pan on med heat until hot and 3 t/l canola oil. Add meatballs and brown for 1 min on all sides then add to sauce. Allow to simmer in sauce for up to an hour.


Mangia~
Tracey

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