Basic Meat Sauce

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Sugo di Carne Odd, isn’t it? The part of each post that will give us trouble. Last week it was the photos and labels. Just how many pictures does one need of meat & vegetables floating in water? And do I call it “broth”, “brodo”, or “stock”? In the end, I chose one photo and used all three monikers.

This week it’s the post’s title. First off, I thought using the word “Sugo” might be confusing to a few people.  In English, sugo means “gravy” but, unlike some, we never referred to tomato sauce as “gravy”. It was either “sauce” or “sugo”. “Gravy” was the stuff you put on mashed potatoes. But that’s not the only problem in the title. This sauce is not a Bolognese, although I have that recipe and will share it later. I am a Marchigiano but it would be arrogant for me to call my sauce alla Marchigiani, meaning “in the style of Le Marche”. I guess I could say it’s dei Bartolini, meaning “of the Bartolini”, but that would imply that there’s one common sauce for us all. That’s hardly the case.

Back in the old two-flat, each adult was quite capable of making a sauce for pasta. Granted, it was exceptionally rare for one of the men to make a sauce but that doesn’t mean each didn’t consider himself to be a master chef when it came to making one. Oddly enough, each of the adults’ sauces was as different from the others as the cook who prepared it. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that if it were somehow possible to recreate each individual’s sauce, I would still be able to determine who prepared each. Yes, they were that distinctive despite using almost the exact same ingredients. “Almost” because there were two minor differences: Mom had her “secret” spice (See Notes) and Nonna might use a little marjoram. It remains a mystery to me how 6 people could have used the same ingredients and achieve such different results. Today, I add a little wine to my sauce and I don’t recall anyone else having done that. The point to all of this is to make clear that there is no one sauce of the Bartolini and for me to use that title for my sauce would be mighty presumptuous. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that I still needed a title for this post, so, I took the path of least resistance. “Basic Meat Sauce” it is.

"Until the juices run clear"

“Until the juices run clear”

There are a few techniques that all of our tomato sauces include. In the first place, all of our sauces use onions. This is significant because the sweetness of the onion eliminates the need for the sugar that some add to their tomato sauces. When it comes to preparing a meat sauce, at one time large pieces of beef and pork were used and later served alongside of the pasta. Today those meats are ground before being added to the pot. Personally, I no longer buy ground meat and, as a result, am in better control of both the quality and fat content of my ingredients. Beyond that, the instructions for many sauces state to “Brown the meat.” Well, that’s half-right. If you only sauté the meat until the pink is gone, you’re missing an opportunity to add flavor to your sauce. As Zia says, make sure “the juices run clear” before you add anything else to the pot. This will ensure that all the liquid has evaporated, concentrating the flavor and leaving just fat behind. Only then can the meat really begin to brown and I’ll continue to sauté it for a few minutes more to do so. Lastly, I’ll add parsley and basil to the pot just like everyone else but I, also, go back and add more just after the sauce is taken off the heat. I find that doing so not only boosts the flavor of the sauce but adds to its aroma, as well.

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Basic Meat Sauce Recipe

yield: 2 quarts (1.9 l)

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 to 1 lb. (340 to 454 g) ground beef
  • 3/4 to 1 lb. (340 to 454 g) ground pork
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped – separated
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 10 crimini mushrooms, sliced – optional
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 quarts (1.9 l) tomatoes or 2 large (28 oz) cans, chopped
  • 2 tsp marjoram
  • 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped – separated
  • salt & pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add beef and pork, season lightly with salt & pepper, and sauté until the liquids run clear and the meat browns.
  2. Add onion, garlic, and half of the parsley. Stir, season lightly with salt & pepper, and continue to sauté until onion is translucent.
  3. Add the wine and sauté until all but a trace has evaporated.
  4. Optional: Add mushrooms and continue sautéing until soft, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add tomato paste, mix thoroughly, and continue to sauté another 2 minutes.
  6. Add the tomatoes, basil, marjoram, and stir to thoroughly combine.
  7. Bring to boil and reduce to a soft simmer.
  8. Continue to simmer until the sauce deepens in color and thickens — about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
  9. Remove from heat, add remaining parsley & basil. Stir to combine.
  10. Sauce is ready for use with your favorite pasta or, once cooled, for storage in your refrigerator or freezer.

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Notes

Although this recipe makes two quarts, it can easily be halved to make one quart of sauce.

When you choose to add wine to your sauce will affect its impact on the end-result. If added early, as I did in today’s recipe, the wine will blend into the background, adding to the overall taste of the sauce. Adding it later, towards the end, the wine flavoring will be much more prominent. When preparing a meat sauce, I add the wine early on. For a marinara, I add it later, as you’ll see below. It is yours to decide which you prefer.

Mom did have a “secret” spice that she added to her sauce.  It’s not that I’ve a problem revealing the secret, it’s just that we cannot agree on what that spice was. It’s been over 10 years since I last had a taste and, speaking for myself, my memory isn’t what it used to be. Now, normally this would have meant the end of the discussion, except for one little thing. Recently, while rearranging my basement freezer’s contents, I came across a quart of Mom’s sauce that had fallen in among the ice bags that I used to create a false bottom in the freezer. (The bags were supposed to make things easier to reach and, ironically, prevent something from “getting lost” down there.) Granted, as far as discoveries go, this is not on a par with King Tut’s tomb but is it still a great find. I seriously doubt that the sauce is in any condition to be eaten but, hopefully, we’ll be able to determine just what Mom’s secret ingredient was. To that end, I plan to bring it to Zia — when I remember — and let her palate settle this matter, once and for all. Lest there be any doubt, let me assure you that Zia is a fair and impartial judge. She would never be swayed by the fact that I arranged for her to hold the hand and receive the blessing of her Patron, the soon-to-be-Saint Pope John Paul II.

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It’s déjà vu all over again

Since I shared one tomato sauce today, I might as well take you back to an earlier post in which I shared a marinara (meatless) sauce. You can see the recipe by clicking HERE. It was one of my earliest posts, so, be kind.

And while you’re there, be sure to take the link to check out that lasagna recipe. I doubt you’ve seen one like it.

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172 thoughts on “Basic Meat Sauce”

  1. Pingback: Baby Lady’s Red Wine Marinara Sauce | REMCooks

  2. We often have my vegetarian marinara sauce on pasta around here, but sometimes we’re in the mood for a meaty pasta sauce. So, I started with my marinara sauce recipe and modified it a touch for the slow cooker. I added some ground turkey in place of the usual ground beef or pork in a meat sauce to cut down on fat and calories and pump up the protein. The result is a savory, hearty sauce that’s as good as those higher calorie versions. It freezes well, too.

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  3. Oh my goodness. Just give me the whole pot, a loaf of crusty gf bread and a good book and I’m set for the whole day. 😉 It would have been fun to have gathered your entire family together and done a taste test to see who could guess which sauce belonged to which person. I too use wine in my sauce. I love the depth it adds. My husband’s family…who are real Italians (I’ve just been grafted in), put ketchup in their sauce!! The horror. I believe I’m more Italian than they are. 😉

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    • This is one Bartolini recipe, April, that you needn’t fear any gluten or dairy. Pull up a chair, grab a spoon, and dig in! A cousin and I were talking about this post last week. He agreed that he’d be able to distinguish the sauces, too. How lucky could we be to have so many truly delicious sauces on our pasta? I must say, though, not a one used ketchup. We’ll just keep your husband’s family’s special ingredient a secret and speak no more of it.

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  8. So glad you had the link for Basic Meat Sauce on your Gnocchi page!! Can’t wait to make it. Actually, I was going to post Stuffed Shells Florentine tonight. if it’s OK with you, I’ll use your recipe for Basic Meat Sauce – with a link to your wonderful blog, of course!
    Something seems to be going on and it might be my computer but I haven’t been able to “like” posts on a few Word Press sites for a few days now. Has anyone else complained of the same thing?

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    • So sweet of you to ask, Cecile. Of course you can. In fact, I’m honored that you would choose our recipe for your post. Thank you very much. I look forward to seing your recipe. Stuffed shells is a family favorite.
      I’ve not had problems with the Like button and haven’t heard of any. I will let you know if and when i do. Thanks again, Cecile.

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  9. I was brought up using the metric system so for a long time the word “quart” was an enigma to me, until I finally decided enough is enough and googled it. I felt very silly because it was more like “take a litre of water and remove three tablespoons from it and voila you have a quart” I would add my wine at the end, to make it more prominent. What was Zia’s verdict? sorry I missed that one. I am on my infrequent browsing spree, best wishes!!!

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    • Hi, Liz. I try to put both types of measurements in my posts just to make it easier for everyone. You’d think by now I’d know the most common ones by heart.
      I brought that frozen sauce with me to Zia’s on my last visit, placed it in her freezer, and promptly forgot all about it. I’ve since spoken with her and we’ll conduct the tasting during my next visit. I’ve waited 12 years, a few more weeks won’t matter.
      Thanks for taking the time to look up these older recipes, Liz, and for commenting on them when you do. I really do appreciate it.

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  10. Pingback: Stuffed Shells Florentine | My Yellow Farmhouse

  11. I’m making this wonderful sauce tonight. I’m so glad you added the “hints” about cooking the meat until the juices run clear etc. It’s those things that make a recipe go from “good” to “excellent”. And I agree with you 100% about adding a bit of fresh herbs (no matter which ones) at the end, as well as during the cooking process. The “late addition” does add an extra punch of flavor ! (I’m going to add some chopped fresh basil, as well as the parsley, ’cause I love the taste.)

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  13. I just did a quick scan on the comments above and I think I’m the only one who asked this question… I can only find where we add the parsley but I don’t see it menioned when to add the basil, so I’m adding it at the same time as the the basil (well, half of the parsley). About adding a bit of nutmeg, I did it recently when I made the stuffed shells florentine but I didn’t care for the taste of nutmeg, although no one else seemed to even realized it was there.

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    • Sorry for my oversight, Cecile. I’ve corrected the post. I add half the basil when the tomatoes and marjoram are added. Thanks for catching my error.
      I’m so glad to read you’re making this sauce. I certainly hope it doesn’t disappoint. Having lived on Malta, yours is one opinion that I value. Feel free to offer any suggestions that you may have.
      I finally remembered to bring that ancient container of frozen sauce to Zia for that taste test. Unfortunately, we were so busy cooking, that we both forgot about it. Now it sits in her freezer waiting for my next visit. I’ll be returning in a few weeks and we;ll settle the debate — I hope. After a dozen years, it may be freezer burnt beyond recognition. 🙂

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  17. We think it must be the same the world over…using exactly the same ingredients but a different pair of hands, equals a different outcome! Both of our families experience this, as do we! Your recipe is remarkably similar to both of our families, and we totally agree about properly browning the meat to enhance the flavour of the sauce. We love the heart and soul you put into your posts, and as new readers can’t wait to read more. Finding your mum’s sauce touched us deeply, and we can only imagine the mixed emotions this treasure brought to you. We have read with interest about how the ‘secret ingredient’ has given rise to much intrigue and speculation amongst your other readers and have to admit that we are now hooked! We realise we come to this meat sauce party very late, but did you ever work it out or have you acquiesced to your sibling’s wish? Whichever, we are with you in meat sauce loving solidarity!

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    • Thank you so much for leaving such a great, thoughtful comment. Even though most of those cooks are long gone, I bet if today I could have a taste of each sauce, I would be able to name the cook behind each one. The thing is, I use those very same ingredients and my sauce tastes differently. 🙂 Mom’ secret ingredient remains an unknown. I brought the container of sauce to my Zia’s house, stuck it in her freezer, and forgot all about it while I was there. once back home here, I remembered (of course). Since then, when we speak on the phone, one of us always says, “We can’t forget about the sauce” sometime during our conversation. I’m still not so sure that we’ll remember. I’m bound and determined to taste that sauce and settle the matter once and for all.
      I can’t wait to get over to your blog and check things out. For now, I have all I need to know: you love sauce. Perfect! 🙂

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