Experience the true taste of Italy with our Authentic Italian Red Sauce infused with Pork. Crafted in our kitchen, this authentic sauce is perfect for pairing with any pasta dish, bringing the genuine flavors of Italy to your table.
While the preparation and initial cooking are speedy, the secret lies in letting the sauce simmer throughout the day. This slow process yields a lusciously rich sauce that begs to be savored with freshly baked crusty bread. Tender Country Style Ribs, deeply browned, form the foundation, infusing the sauce with irresistible flavor, courtesy of the Maillard reaction’s culinary magic.
- Pick the Best Tomatoes: In an ideal world, we would all have the time and space to have a beautiful garden. However, many of us have to opt for canned tomatoes. I’m here to tell you a good canned tomato can far exceed the quality of many tomatoes sitting in the produce section. Look for whole San Marzano tomatoes you can crush by hand. Trust me it’s worth it! Now if you’re one of the lucky ones with some nice tomatoes out your back door, or on your rooftop garden then you’re all set!
- Select the right pot: Use a large heavy-bottomed saucepan to prepare the sauce from start to finish. It allows the tomatoes to cook down and release their moisture resulting in a polished sauce.
- Low and Slow: Cook your sauce low and slow for as long as possible, it develops a rich, thick and savory sauce. Ours cooks a minimum of 8 hours. And if you really want the flavors to meld, make it the day before. Letting it sit in the fridge overnight creates a true harmony of flavor.
- Testing Red Sauce for Doneness: Before ladling over your pasta, check your sauce to be sure it’s cooked down to the right consistency. To do this, take a spoonful out of your saucepan and see how much liquid bleeds from the sauce. If there’s only a small amount of liquid your sauce is ready, if there’s a sizable measure, allow your sauce to continue to simmer low and slow.
Adding leftover Parmesan Cheese rinds to your sauce develops umami flavor. If the rinds don’t completely dissolve while cooking, remove before serving.
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How to Make Authentic Italian Red Sauce with Pork
Ingredients
- 1/3 Extra Virgin Olive Oil good quality
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- 1 lb Country Style Ribs boneless
- 1 lb Italian Sausage hot or mild removed from casings
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed crushed
- 1 medium onion chopped yellow
- 6 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/2 cup dry red wine Cabernet Sauvignon for deglazing
- 2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes hand crushed
- 1 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind optional but adds to depth of flavor
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped fresh basil or 1 Tablespoon dried
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 2 Tablespoons sugar balances the acid
- Kosher Sea Salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan or Grana Padano Cheese for serving garnish
Instructions
- Remove Country Style ribs from the refrigerator, season with Kosher Sea Salt and fresh cracked black pepper and allow them to come to room temp for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over med-high heat. Once hot add olive oil and heat for 30 seconds.
- Add seasoned Country Style Ribs fat side down into hot oil. Ribs will become stuck to the pan, while they brown. Allow to sit undisturbed, they will release from the pan once they brown. Flip and brown remaining sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the sausage and crushed fennel to the saucepan, stirring occasionally until browned.
- Add the onion to the sausage and fennel and cook till translucent about 5 minutes.
- Add crushed garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Carefully add the dry red wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a flat wooden spatula until the wine has reduced slightly about 2 minutes. and all of the browned bits have lifted from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, hand-crushed whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan Cheese rind, basil, bay leaves, oregano, sugar, Kosher Sea Salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Return the Country Style Ribs back to the sauce and bring to a simmer over med-low heat. Simmer 6-8 hours uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Notes
- Prep time is approximate.
- The sauce will store safely in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- For prolonged storage allow the sauce to cool completely. Store in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, the sauce will maintain its best quality up to 6 months.
Creative Recipe Inspiration
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Step Into My Kitchen!
Hey there, fellow food enthusiast! Welcome to Mean Green Chef, where every dish tells a story and every recipe is a labor of love. I’m thrilled to share a bit about myself and the journey that led me here, stirring pots and sprinkling spices for over three decades!
This sounds soooo yummy! What a great dinner!
Tried and true, Erika! You could even ladle it over zucchini noodles 🙂
That looks phenomenal! Thanks for the tips too. I’ve heard about tossing parmesan rinds into the sauce before. It sounds like such a tasty suggestion.
Thanks, Colleen! So glad the tips are helpful, the Parm rinds create amazing flavor! 🙂
This is so helpful! The sauce looks amazing! I will be trying this out for sure!
Thank you, Morgan! 🙂
OMG, this is so how my great aunt would make her “gravy”. This makes me want to grab a hunk of bread to dip in it to taste test.
Yep, Angela, this is old school gravy at it’s best! 🙂
I always said I wanted to try making a real red sauce! This looks delicious!
It’s so easy to do, Kim! You’ll love it once you’ve tried it 🙂
TRIED & TRUE
I’m a recipe collector, and after making this last night I’m throwing out 99% of my sauce recipes, it was that good. Thank you for sharing.
So great to hear, thank you very much, Holly!