Making Sauce ... a Guide

OK, this is a difficult post. There really is not a recipe for my sauce at the moment. For those of you in New Jersey I think you might call it Gravy, but in my family in Buffalo we always called tomato sauce ... sauce.

For the most part I make sauce because I love to eat pasta and because I love the time and effort that is put into making it. In my mind that is what cooking is really all about ... LOVE ... when you take the time to cook or bake you are showing LOVE for those who will enjoy what you have made. In the case of making sauce everyone new I was going to make it because we had to make lasagna for another family. In order to make lasagna I have to start with a pot of homemade sauce. Sophie and Dominic wanted to help me cook. So we made it a family affair.

I have talked about the steps of making sauce below ... please remember that this is not a recipe but a guide to how to make sauce.

First I make the meatballs. I mix ground beef, ground pork, romano cheese, crushed garlic, diced onions, breadcrumbs, raw eggs and salt and pepper. We mix everything together in a bowl and then form the meatballs.

We fry Italian Sausage in olive oil until they are cooked in a large skillet. Then we fry the meatballs in the same oil until they are just cooked. In addition I sometimes use pork ribs, or beef ribs or stew beef or any other cut of beef or pork that is small enough as a cut to add a few bites to a person's plate.



Then I take the skillet and drain the oil. Then I de-glaze the pan using 2 cups of red wine and a small can of tomato paste. I pour all of this off into a large pot. Then I put into the pot a large can of tomato puree, two large cans of crushed tomatoes and a large can of chopped tomatoes. I add about a large can of water then I add all of the meat to the sauce and add 4-6 cloves of fresh garlic and salt and pepper to taste. I bring the pot to a boil and then turn the heat to very low. I cook this pot for about two to three hours. Then I add 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil. Then continue to cook the sauce for an additional hour.



Normally when we are making sauce it will be used the next day ... not the day we are making it. So why not serve it the day you make it you ask? Tomato sauce needs to mellow. By putting the pot of sauce in the refrigerator for a day and then reheating it the flavors of the sauce will be both mellow and complex. Tomato sauce when you are making it fresh can be tart. Many people will add sugar to the sauce to take away the tartness of the tomatoes. By taking the time to cook the sauce, then refrigerate it and then retains it you will build a mellowness into the sauce rather than forcing it into the sauce with sugar. This process will also make the meat more tender by allowing the sauce to get to the core of the meatballs and the other beef and pork in the sauce.

I know that this is not an easy one. But you have to believe me that there is very little that will get your family to eat and compliment as much as a home made pot of sauce. Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta or ravioli then serve it with a crusty Italian bread and some great red wine.

Ciao, Mark