Sauce Day!

Okay friends, I know – this is a decor blog but I just can’t help it… today is seriously one of my favorite days of the year.  There’s just something about simmering a sauce all day.  The aroma of the garlic and mushrooms, the warmth from the stove, the fact that I don’t have to get out of my pajamas ;).  All of it just makes me so happy!  It’s actually become a bit of tradition in our home.  Here’s the history of Sauce Day.

I started toying with my version of a Bolognese sauce over ten years ago and can distinctly remember my first batch.  It was bright red and notably watery with the ground meat separated from the liquid like a bad soup.  Gross.  Sean was kind enough to eat it but I vowed to improve and perfect it.  Each time I made it, I changed it up a little bit by adjusting the cook time, ingredients, type  and size of roast, etc.  The major improvements were increasing the cook time, adding tomato paste, and incorporating wine earlier on in the process.  The flavor and texture became sooo much better.  Nowadays I start around 6am (I know I’m nuts) and have it simmering by 9:30 so it can really stew all day and get all thick and meaty and delicious.  Added bonus of starting early:  crusty bread dipped in sauce for lunch, yes please!  I’ve never formally written down a recipe because I usually eyeball the wine to sauce ratio and base it on the taste and color as the sauce simmers.  But today I wrote down exactly what I did in case you want to try this for yourself.

SAUCE DAY! Sauce

Servings:  A LOT – like 30-35!  I don’t know exactly, we freeze several large containers of leftovers.

Ingredients

3.5lb beef roast such as top loin

4.5 pounds ground beef

3 pounds ground pork

***note:  if I can find ground veal I use it, but I couldn’t today.  I will use 2-3 pounds and reduce the pork and ground beef***

4.5 tbsp olive oil

5 tbsp minced garlic

2 large yellow onions, diced

32 oz. bella mushrooms, sliced

2.5 bottles dry red wine

6 15oz cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes

11 15oz cans Tomato Sauce

2.5 6 oz cans Tomato Paste

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Removed meat and vegetables from fridge and allow to come to room temperature, roughly 1.5 hours
2.  Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat.  Generously season roast with salt and pepper and brown on all sides, roughly 3-4 minutes per side.  Set aside.
3. Add ground beef and pork to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until brown, breaking apart into small pieces.  Drain meat and set aside
4. Wipe down pot.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.  When hot add garlic and saute until fragrant about 1 minutes, then add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup wine and simmer allowing it to reduce, about 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook 7 until soft about 7 minutes.  Add 1/2 bottle of wine, bring to a boil, and simmer allowing to again reduce, about 7 more minutes.  Add the remainder of the bottle and bring to a boil.
5. Add ground meat back into sauce, mix and add another 1/2 bottle of wine.  Stir well and allow to come to a simmer.
6. Add all tomato sauce, paste, crushed tomatoes, and remaining wine.  Stir.  Add roast back in.  Bring to boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 4 hours up to 8 hours.  Serve over pasta with crunchy french bread.

I’m going to go overindulge now.  I’m telling myself I’m stretching out my stomach in preparation for Thanksgiving 😉  Give my sauce a whirl, snap a pic, and tag @notesofcharm!

Kristen