Aug 28 2009
Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
I realize I already posted a meat sauce recipe once, but this one is very different and just as good. As the recipe (which I borrowed from the Sept. 09 issue of Family Circle) is written, it tastes like pot roast sauce, which is good, but for my traditional-food loving husband, it was not quite right. To make it a little more “pasta sauce-y”, I think I’d prefer it with more of a tomato base, so I’m going to give you the original recipe, along with my recommended adjustments in italics (which, admittedly have not been tested, but are pretty safe bets nonetheless). We served this with whole wheat linguine (the refrigerated kind) and it was good to have a thicker pasta to hold up to the sauce. Add a salad and a garlic breadstick and you’re good to go.
Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (make it 2)
1 large celery rib, chopped (make it 2)
1 medium-size onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium beef broth (I would replace this with tomato sauce or at least 1/2 tomato sauce — or crushed tomatoes maybe)
1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (These added nothing to the sauce, not sure what the point of such a small amount is)
1 1/4 lbs. beef chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks (You could easily use less meat, maybe even half this much, especially if you’re making more of a tomato base, but keep the chunks big, you’ll be fishing them out later)
Put carrot, celery, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; place in the slow cooker bowl. Add diced tomatoes, broth (or tomato sauce), tomato paste and sugar to slow cooker. Add 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt and the red pepper flakes. Stir in beef and cook on High for 5 hours or Low for 6 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, remove beef chunks from slow cooker and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred beef and stir back into slow cooker. Add remaining 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook another 30 minutes.
Serve over pasta, with parmesan cheese, if desired.
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