And I weigh my words! Each family has their own recipe for spaghetti sauce, which they keep in the strictest confidence. I took it from my mother, and she took it herself from her sister-in-law who definitely took it somewhere else... Since we change it up a bit with each generation, it gets better with time! And I can say this is the best sauce I've tasted, period. Don't omit any ingredient, it's this combination that makes it taste so good.
But be warned! This sauce is unique! It has a good spicy taste and a bit of sweetness. You have to know how to appreciate these two characteristics to love him...
* Ingredients :
° 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or olive oil)
° 2 large onions chopped
° 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
° 4 celery stalks chopped
° 4 medium sized pods, chopped
° 3 chop garlic clove
° 1 can mushrooms, slice
° 2 pounds medium fat ground beef (You can substitute it with ground tofu, or make half. It's just as good)
° small can of tomato paste (156 ml)
° 2 cans tomatoes (796 ml each), stewed, chopped or whole, to taste
° 1 can (284 ml) tomato soup (such as Elmer or Campbell's)
° 1 large can of tomato juice (1.5 liters)
° 1/2 teaspoon each of the following spices: rosemary, marjoram, thyme, thyme, nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, °
pepper
° 4 bay leaves
° 1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar (the secret touch!!!)
* Preparation:
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large, deep saucepan. Add chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the minced meat and continue to cook until the meat is brown.
Then add the tomatoes (paste, tomato, soup and juice) one ingredient at a time, stirring after each addition.
Add the spices one at a time, stirring each time, as well as the bay leaves. Then add brown sugar. Mix well.
Boil the sauce. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The surface of the sauce should make a little gravy. The sauce is ready when it thickens well (depending on the type of tomato and the heat of the fire, the cooking time may vary. Cook to the desired consistency).
Remove the bay leaves. Put in sterilized jars while the sauce is still hot. When cool, tighten lids and freeze jars. To consume, take a day in advance and put in the refrigerator. It will melt slowly and retain all its texture and flavour.
Enjoy !
