Italian Meat Sauce (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Sauce Base
01 -
4–6 garlic cloves, minced up
02 -
900 g at least 85% lean ground beef or swap out 450 g each of ground beef and ground veal
03 -
1 big sweet onion, chopped up
04 -
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
→ Seasonings
05 -
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, taste for more if you like
06 -
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, plus more if your tastebuds ask for it
07 -
2 teaspoons garlic powder
→ Tomatoes and Finishing
08 -
2 teaspoons white sugar
09 -
2 tablespoons chopped-up fresh basil
10 -
1 can (790 g) tomato purée
11 -
1 can (790 g) crushed peeled tomatoes
12 -
4 tablespoons thick tomato paste
# How to Make It:
01 -
Get the sauce just to a bubbly boil then dial down the heat. Let it hang out uncovered for about 1 hour, stirring every now and then so nothing sticks. Taste and tweak salt or pepper if you want it bolder or mellower.
02 -
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, and the basil you chopped. Mix it really well so everything gets cozy together.
03 -
Dump in the tomato paste and stir. Keep going until the color deepens a bit, maybe 2 minutes or so.
04 -
Shake in garlic powder, salt, and cracked pepper. Give it all a solid stir so every bite tastes the same.
05 -
Toss in the beef and veal (or just beef if that’s your thing). Let it brown up, breaking it apart as you go. Got some fat puddling? Scoop off with a ladle, not the watery stuff. Cook till most of the liquid’s gone.
06 -
Pop in the minced garlic now. Stir for about a minute until it smells great.
07 -
Pour olive oil in your heavy pot on medium heat. Add your onion and cook until it looks see-through and smells kinda sweet, about 5 or 8 minutes.
# Additional Tips:
01 -
If you want sweeter richness, let that onion go a little longer before putting in the garlic. Don’t worry about skimming unless it’s actual fat on top, not watery juices.