2 pounds extra lean ground beef
2 pounds garlic, basil and parmagiano italian sausage (other italian sausage acceptable)
2 pounds fresh diced and crushed tomatoes
2 pounds of mixed hard Italian cheeses (parmagiano, romano, asiago)
32 oz fresh pureed tomatoes
2 large onions diced medium (1/4" or a bit larger - optional)
2 large peppers diced medium (1/4" or a bit larger - optional)
8-16 oz unsweetened tomato paste (more or less depending on thickness)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
Seasoning:
4tbslp fresh oregano, minced fine (or more, to taste)
4 tblsp fresh basil, minced fine
2tblsp fresh rosemary, minced fine
2 tblsp fresh parsley, minced fine
2 tblsp frech cracked black pepper (or more, to taste)
2 tblsp chili flakes
2 tblsp chili powder
2 tblsp hot sauce (tabasco, ed's, red-hot, daves etc... depending on your taste)
1 tbslp ground coriander
Preparation:
Broil the sausage on a rack with a drip pan. You will be collecting the drippings for use in the sauce. You must use good quality sausage, or the sauce will be too greasy. You should time the sausage so that it will be lightly broiled (do not crisp the skin too much) by the time your meat is browned
Heat the oil in a 6qt thick bottomed pot (all-clad or equivalent, with cover). Crush and mince the garlic, and lightly brown in the oil. Once the garlic is lightly browned add the rosemary, stir for 5 seconds, and then add the onions if you are using them, and crumble the ground beef into the pot.
Lightly brown the beef, possibly with a little salt, and a little pepper, depending on how flavorful the meat is. Stir occaisonally, covering when not stirring to retain the moisture of the beef. This is very important, because you are using extra lean beef (if you dont, the sauce will be too greasy).
Once the meat is browned, turn the heat down to a medium simmer, add the red wine, balsamic vinegar, and the diced peppers. Cover and let braise for a few minutes.
Turn the heat back up to a medium high flame or burner, and add the tomato puree. Incorporate thoroughly, and add the crushed tomatoes. Slice the sausages into 1/4-1/2" thick slices, in the pan. Pour in the sausage drippings, incorporate fully, and then add the sausages. Bring the sauce up to a low simmer.
Stir in the herbs and seasoning and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occaisonally to let the flavors incorporate, then add half the tomato paste.
Turn the heat down to a very low simmer, and slowly stir in the cheeses, thoroughly mixing as you go. If the sauce is too hot the cheese will clump up and could stick and burn to the sides and bottom of the pot.
At this point you have to judge the thickness of the sauce. Depending on the cheese, sausage, meat, and tomatoes you are using, the sauce could be too thick, too thin, or just about right. Remember, you are going to simmering this sauce for about another hour, and you want to make the thickness adjustments now so the flavors will remain consistent. If the sauce is too thick, add 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup water, throughly incorporate, and judge again, then add 1/2 cup of red wine and water at a time if necessary. If the sauce is too thin, add more of the tomato paste.
Leave on a very low simmer for at least another hour stirring occaisonally. We don't want the sauce to thicken too much here, we are just trying to render the meat and incorporate the flavors thoroughly. Be careful not to let the cheese burn to the bottom or sides of the pot. The ground beef should be disintegrated down to very small pieces, and the sausage should be completely saturated with the sauce. Adjust thickness as necessary throughout. If the sauce is too sweet (which it can be depending on the tomatoes used, and if you included onions), add more pepper, and chili flakes.
During the simmer, the fats will tend to separate and rise to the top. If the sauce is too thin, or too greasy (it shouldnt be if you used good beef, sausage, and cheese), you can skim this oil off, but I usually jsut stir it back in whenever theres enough to bother with.
This sauce is thick and meaty enough to use as a sandwhich filler all on it's own, or with meatballs. It also makes a great hot pocket using pastry dough or pie crust, and a sandwhich toaster. You can thin it out a bit with more tomato puree, and use it as a pizza sauce (especially deep dish), or in lasagna. It's also good with a ziti, rigatoni, or various shells; and it's great for stuffing peppers, tomatoes, or eggplant (which I HATE, but that's another story).
Oh, and for those of you who have an italian cooking background, this is basically a sauce calabrese on steroids.
Be sure to check out:
Recipes for REAL men, Volume 3 Highbrow Hash
Recipes for REAL men, Volume 2 MuscleCarbonara
Recipes for REAL men, Volume 1 More Beef than Stew