This meat sauce is delicious, nutritious and versatile. You can use it for Spaghetti Bolognese, or Lasagne; scooped into sweet potatoes and sprinkled with cheese; add beans and call it chili con carne; make a “burger salad” (iceberg or romaine lettuce, sliced raw onion, pickles, cheese and your fave burger sauce) or add some sturdy seasonal vegetables and eat it like a big chunky stew over rice? You could even crack some eggs into this pan with red peppers and paprika to create a Shakshuka situation. The options are almost literally endless, so be sure make double and freeze some.

Ingredients

olive oil or butter
6 cloves of garlic, minced
3 onions, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery (optional), finely chopped
700g quality minced beef or game
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 x 400g tins of quality peeled plum tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Herbs & Spices: ground cumin, ground coriander, dried thyme / oregano, half a teaspoon each.
1/2 litre of bone broth, stock or water.
Optional: Canned kidney beans, chickpeas,

Instructions:

Melt butter and oil in a large heavy saucepan or stock pot over moderate heat.

Add the onion, and cook over moderate heat for 3 – 4 minutes until onion is translucent. Stir in the carrots and celery - cook for 3 - 6 minutes more. Add the garlic and tomato paste, and stir it all together, cooking for another 2-4 minutes.

Add the ground meat and crumble the meat with a fork or potato masher. Let it brown a bit on one side (careful not to burn). Add your herbs and spices at this point and let them cook for a few minutes, stirring to avoid burning.

Stir in the canned tomato and sauce. Add in your broth, stock or water and stir it all together. Add your bay leaves.

Bring the sauce to a boil; then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 3 – 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Add water if necessary. Taste for seasoning and correct if needed.

The sauce will keep for several days in the refrigerator and freezes well for 6 months