Italian 2-Meat Sauce: Slow-Simmered
Get ready to savor a pot of pure comfort with Chef Trips’ Healthier Italian Meat Sauce!This slow-simmered masterpiece blends lean ground beef and Italian sausage with a rich tomato base, kissed with herbs and a touch of natural sweetness from stevia or carrots, no refined sugar needed.Packed with mushrooms, onions, and peppers, it’s a wholesome, multi-layered flavor-bomb sauce perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, or even a cozy meatball sub. Cooked low and slow for up to 6 hours, this dish brings bold, soulful vibes to your table with a Chez Trips twist.Check out the video for pro tips and make it BEAUTIFUL!
Ingredients
- 4 cloves of chopped Garlic
- 1 120 oz can of Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (four 28-32 ounce cans)
- 1 lb of Italian sausage
- 1 can of Tomato paste
- 1 lb of Ground Beef
- 2 tbsp of Oregano finely chopped if fresh
- 2 tbsp of Basil finely chopped if fresh
- 2 diced Onions divided
- 1 diced Green pepper
- ¼ cup of Olive oil
- 1 tbsp of Salt, to taste substistute with natural sea salt, or pink salt
- 1 tbsp of Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp of crushed Red pepper divided
- 1 tbsp of Sugar substitute with stevia, or one skinned Carrot (the natural sweetness will help offset the acidity, remove before serving)
- 2 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp of Soy sauce add for the last hour and a half of cooking
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup of grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
- 1 cup of chopped Mushrooms
- 2 tbsp of unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, sausage, and beef, breaking them up.
- Once the chunks of meat are broken apart, add two tsp of the salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp of the crushed red pepper, basil, and oregano.
- Mix in the green pepper, one of the onions, then sauté for a few minutes until they soften a bit, then add the garlic.
- Mix in the balsamic vinegar.
- Cook until most, or all, of the grease cooks out of the pot. Stir often to prevent burning.
- Add the tomato paste (rinse the can with a bit of water) to the meats and vegetables, mix well.
- Add tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes. Rinse cans with just a little water and add to the sauce.
- Mix in the remaining basil, oregano, sea salt, crushed red pepper, and the black pepper (don’t over-season, you can always add more later).
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, the sweetener of your choice, carrots, or the stevia.
- Lower the heat to low for a gentle simmer, and cover with a splatter guard or top.
- Stir every 15 minutes for the next 6 or so hours, scraping the bottom and sides around the pot (make sure to hold the pot firmly and be aware that the splattering sauce is very hot).
- Add the remaining diced onion to stir #3.
- Taste often to see if more seasonings are necessary.
- Add the mushrooms during the last two hours of cooking.
- Mix in the soy sauce for the last 1 ½ of cooking.
- Once the sauce is done, turn off the heat, remove carrots if using, and mix in the cheese.
- Mix in the butter to melt while the sauce is still hot.
- Serve over pasta of your choice.
- Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- ENJOY!