| Original Italian Red Sauce – Calabrez Style | | There is NO substitute for real, old-fashioned spaghetti sauce!! It is the basis for every great Italian dish. No short cuts here. And there are also no substitutions for genuine, time-tested ingredients. Yes...just the way my Italian mother and grandmother taught me!! Freeze your sauce in plastic storage bags and save for your “quick meal” day. Also save for “pizza sauce.”
Time to prepare: 20 min
Allow to (simmer) cook on low: 6 hours
1/2 C REAL Olive Oil (Use the cold-pressed, virgin olive oil) Yum!
1-1/2 lbs. Ground Round You can also substitute pork or meatballs here. (See below for notes.)
1 Large onion (I prefer red, but you can use white or yellow) Diced
6 -10 Large Cloves of Garlic (Follow your own preference, but more is better in this case) Sliced
4 lg cans Hunts Tomato Sauce Must use this brand for success! You can substitute 1 can of Hunts whole tomatoes for 1 can of the sauce. I don't work for Hunt's either. I have tried other sauces and they just don’t’ match up to the “taste” of Hunt’s.
1t. Salt (Remember, use your own judgment here)
2t Oregano (dried is good here)
2t fresh Italian parsley (fresh is ok)
Method:
Brown the meat in olive oil. Keep your meat in larger chunks. When the meat is turning brown, add the diced onion.
When the onion is just turning a transparent color, add the sliced garlic. Cook for 1-2 min.
Begin adding the Hunt's tomato sauce. If you are using any whole tomatoes, be sure to pull them apart with your fingers as you add them.
Special Note: Use the empty Hunt's tomato cans to add some water.
Fill each can about 1/4 full of water and as you add to your pan of sauce, rinse the sauce out of the can too. (Good to the last drop!) Add the salt.
Almost done...don't give up here.
At this point, you should stir up the ingredients. No more stirring after this addition.
Add the oregano and parsley. Note: DO NOT STIR AFTER YOU ADD THEM! This is part of our family's sauce secret.
It is the simplicity of the sauce that is sooo good!! Don't confuse the taste of the sauce with a lot of seasonings. Simple...is good.
Now you just simmer the sauce...make sure it simmers only. Cook for 4-6 hours. Notice how the sauce “thickens” as it cooks. You will smell the delicious aroma of the sauce filling your house. Am I making you hungry? Dipping bread in the sauce as it cooks…another Italian tradition. Just can’t stay out of the kitchen. Stir the sauce after the 4-6 hours of simmering.
NOTE: If you want to use meatballs, I suggest the following: after you brown your meatballs, remove them from your pan. After you add your sauce and stir, put the meatballs in a strainer that will fit right into your sauce and allow them to cook. They may begin to fall apart, but you will have them all together in your strainer for serving. |
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