The Savored Diversion: Spaghetti Sauce with Pork

I like a good spaghetti sauce. Bubbly red gravy over a plate of pasta cooked al dente. And this recipe makes a very good sauce. And if you want to take it a little further, say maybe add some meatballs, or pork, or sausage, well then you have a feast. The best part is that you can make the sauce by itself and then braise your meatballs, pork, or sausage in the sauce and turn it into a even better one. The meat will add extra flavor and create a more substantial meal. Which is what I've done here. For tonight's meal, I made boneless pork in spaghetti sauce and if I do say so myself, it was excellent.

Serves Many

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic minced.

1 small onion, finely chopped.

1 medium carrot, grated

2 tablespoons of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 6 oz can of tomato paste

2 28 oz cans of crushed tomatos

48 ounces of water

salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs country pork ribs cut into large cubes

4 tbsp olive oil

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of oil on medium heat and brown the cubed pork on all sides in small batches. Do not crowd the meat, otherwise it will not brown. Remove the meat and pour off any rendered fat. Leave the fond that has formed as this will add flavor to the sauce. Add another 2 tbsp of oil to the pot and sweat your chopped onions for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add minced garlic, carrot, and thyme. Continue to cook for another five minutes. Move the vegetables to the side and add the tomato paste. Allow it to caramelize a little, about 1 minute, then mix with the vegetables. Add both cans of crushed tomatoes and then add 48 ounces of water. Stir the ingredients and then add the browned pork to the sauce. Raise heat to high until it reaches a steady boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and allow the meat to braise and the flavors to marry, about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and when meat is tender, the sauce will be done. Make your pasta and then enjoy this sauce with the meat.