Well I don't feel the picture does this rich dish justice. I know the two days I worked on it don't clearly show the labor behind it. Had I known the number of steps pre-slow cooker and the step post pre-cooker I may have not attempted this dish.
This dish was courtesy of
Cooks Illustrated Magazine Soups & Stews Winter 2009. My first introduction to Cooks was with my SIL. She is a subscriber and a great cook! This magazine is for those I consider real cooks. I DO NOT fall into this category although I one day hope to. I do enjoy reading it and find helpful hints and they taste test a lot of products to give you what they think is the best in any one category. This issue they discussed Chicken Broth. Anyway, back to the cookin'.
I will not reprint this recipe due to copy write infringement (the law in all). It is a good recipe but for me, a bit time consuming. It required to fry up some bacon, brown some meat, brown up some carrots and onions, put some wine in the bottom of fry pan and scrap the bits.... and that was just yesterday. Today was the slow cooker day (9 HOURS), and I still had to cook some pearl onions, glaze them and the mushrooms, add them to the pot along with the bacon, fresh chopped parsley & a cup of red wine that I had to reduce down in a frying pan before adding.... you get my drift. If I were to make it again I would make it for a dinner party (which I never have) so more adults could enjoy it. Plus from what I read, it may not keep as well because of the alcohol in it. Yup learned a tip after I was mid-way making it that may have stopped me in my tracks from doing this one. Anyway, it was good and although it may not supply us with the same great tasting leftovers I don't think Glenn or my palate is that sophisticated to know the difference (well maybe a little). Anyway I will leave you with a recipe of mine, well my mom's, actually her Great Aunt's (which would be my great great Aunt...).
It's for homemade spaghetti sauce with meatballs. This takes a bit of time to put together but it is sooooo good and it makes plenty to have 4 meals out of it (or maybe 3).
CAROL'S HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
1 medium to large onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 to 4 cloves of garlic minced (I usually use 4 to 5… I like it spicy)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp oregano
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes – prior to adding to sauce put in blender on puree
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 heaping Tbsp granulated sugar
In 3 quart sauce pan pour oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper & oregano. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Then add tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato paste. Then add blended crushed tomatoes through sieve (this gets out all the seeds). Take empty tomato paste can and fill with water and add to pot (I usually don’t fill it to the brim…I like my sauce with some consistency). Cook 3.5 to 4 hours on low heat. Check sauce half way through cooking. If needed, add 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar (I always add it otherwise it’s too bitter)
Meatballs
1 lb of ground round beef (chuck if you want soft meatballs)
1 piece of fresh bread blended until crumbs
1 large egg
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried parsley
Combine all ingredients. Roll into 1 inch diameter ball and add to sauce for last hour of cooking.
If you wish to add Italian sausage to sauce: Brown Italian sausage (I use 2 sweet and 2 hot) in a separate pan. After browning cut Italian sausage links into 2 inch pieces and add to pot after adding all tomato products. Keep sausages in sauce the entire duration of the sauce cooking.
Helpful tip: The sauce ALWAYS tastes better the 2nd time around (after it has been in the fridge). I typically make it in the afternoon and then let it cool before I put it in containers to freeze or place in the fridge. I usually don’t eat it the first night but I have but it’s so much better if you wait. Just reheat on the stove. Can take about 15 – 20 minutes so the meatballs and sausage can heat all the way through.
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