BASIC MEAT SAUCE, (SUGO DI CARNI)

I told Cassandra I was going to put up this recipe for red sauce up today.  This is basically how my Mom made it too.  Cheers, Bam, Jeah,,,here it is.

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
8 oz can tomato sauce
4 oz can tomato paste
32 oz can whole or diced tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp tobasco sauce
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp cider, white or wine vinegar,
salt
pepper
1-2tsp Italian herbs, marjarom, basil, oregano, thyme, any or all
1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan or cast iron dutch oven, brown meat in olive oil.  Add the diced onion and garlic.  Continue browning meat and onion/garlic.  Add onion and garlic powder and some salt and pepper.  Add tomato paste, stir to coat the meat evenly.  Add the diced tomatoes, or if using whole canned tomatoes, pour into a bowl and break up the tomatoes before adding.  Add the tomato sauce.  add the tobasco, worchestershire, sugar, vinegar, and Italian seasoning.  Add the bay leaf.  Simmer sauce 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove bay leaf.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve with your favorite pasta.

Gumbo or Jambalaya

Gumbo it will be as I have some rice already from the other night.  I hope the Tasso ham  that I purchased at the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax is tasty.  Bruce
Aidells made some really good tasso ham, does he still make it.  I have not seen it locally for several years, ljbut it may still be available.  This ham is imported from Louisiana.  Huntington Meats makes some good sausages and I will be using the andouille too.  May go all in with chicken too. 

Snuffy's Gumbo

Holy Trinity
1 yellow onion, chopped
3-4 ribs celery, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
(garlic)

Roux
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp Snuffy rub

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs,
   cut in 1 inch cubes, seasoned with Snuffy Rub
1/2 lb andouille sausage, coined
1/2 lb tasso ham, diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 tsp Tobasco Sauce

1 Quart chicken stock, homemade preferable.

Brown off seasoned chicken in a bit of oil/butter, remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon
Brown off andouille sausage coins in same skillet, remove to same bowl
Deglaze pan with a bit of stock, save

Cook roux.
Melt margarine in sturdy pot, 4-6 quart size
Add flour, adjust heat to incorporate flour and margarine into a brown paste, cooking a total of about 5 minutes.  Roux can be light to dark brown.  Be careful not get too dark.

Add vegetables to the roux and stir to coat. Continue cooking at higher heat for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are releasing liquid and soften into the roux.  Add garlic at this time.

Stir in heated stock slowly.  Initially the roux will be really thick, continue adding stock slowly until desired thickness of gumbo.  Add chicken, andouille, and tasso.  Add worchestershire and tobasco sauce to taste.  Simmer gently 20 minutes. 

Serve with your favorite rice, or try it over a firehouse favorite.  I used to prepare asian style chow mein noodles, Hong Kong style.  Boil noodles, drain well.  Cool a bit.  Heat 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil very hot.  Peanut oil is best.  Add noodles and fry until crisp on one side.  Flip and crisp the other side.  This will make a crispy noodle pillow.  Cut into wedges and spoon gumbo on top.

Eat well.