Red Meat Sauce
Time
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 45 min
- Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Serving: about ¾ cup (300 g / ~10.5 oz)
Ingredients
Sauce
- Olive oil: 30 ml (2 Tbsp) — extra-virgin; for browning
- Ground beef: 450 g (1 lb) — 80/20; optionally replace half with pork
- Onion: 150 g (1 medium) — finely chopped
- Garlic: 3 cloves — minced
- Tomato paste: 30 g (2 Tbsp)
- Dry red wine: 120 ml (½ cup) — optional
- Crushed tomatoes: 794 g (28 oz can)
- Bay leaf: 1
- Fine salt: ~6 g (~1 tsp) — plus more to taste
- Black pepper: to taste
- Chili flakes: ⅛-¼ tsp
- Fish sauce: 5 ml (1 tsp)
Finish
- Olive oil: ~5 ml (~1 tsp) — extra-virgin; for finishing; off heat
- Unsalted butter: ~1 Tbsp — or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
Cook in a stainless steel sauté pan.
1. Brown the meat
- Heat 30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil in the sauté pan over medium-high.
- Brown 450 g (1 lb) ground beef.
See: Ground Meat Browning Techniques
2. Aromatics & paste
- In the rendered fat, soften 150 g (1 medium) onion.
- Add 3 cloves garlic and ⅛-¼ tsp chili flakes; cook 30 s.
- Stir in 30 g (2 Tbsp) tomato paste until dark brick-red; cook 2-3 min.
3. Deglaze
- Add 120 ml (½ cup) dry red wine (if using); scrape up fond; reduce until nearly dry.
4. Base & simmer
- Add 794 g (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes; if very thick, add 1/2–2/3 cup water.
- Add 1 bay leaf and return the browned meat.
- Add 5 ml (1 tsp) fish sauce.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook 30–45 min, stirring occasionally.
- For deeper flavor, simmer up to 150 min on very low heat; add water as needed to keep the sauce loose.
- For long simmers (≥90 min), refresh with 1/4–1/2 tsp fish sauce in the last 2–3 minutes.
- Simmer gently for 10-20 min uncovered to reduce and concentrate sauce.
- Done cues:
- Coats the back of a spoon (nappe) and leaves tiny orange oil pools.
- A spatula dragged across the pan leaves a trail that closes in ~2–3 seconds.
- Taste is intense without sharp acidity.
- Done cues:
5. Finish the sauce
- Remove sauce from heat.
- Adjust ~6 g (~1 tsp) fine salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.
- Add 2-4 Tbsp pasta water before adding more salt to judge real salinity.
- Drizzle in ~5 ml (~1 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil.
- Finish with ~1 Tbsp unsalted butter or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Notes / Make-ahead / Variations
- Swap in part pork for beef for a richer sauce.
- Add a sprig of basil or oregano in the last 10 minutes; remove before serving.
- Sauce keeps 4 days refrigerated; freezes up to 3 months.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Full Recipe | Per Serving (about ¾ cup or 300 g / ~10.5 oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2020 | 505 |
| Protein | 94.4 g | 23.6 g |
| Fat | 139.2 g | 34.8 g |
| Carbs | 72 g | 18 g |
| Fiber | 15.6 g | 3.9 g |
| Sugars | 39.6 g | 9.9 g |
| Sodium | 4524 mg | 1131 mg |