Meat Sauce Genova-Style

Name: Meat Sauce Genova-Style
Yield: serves 6 or more
Ingredients: 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled; 2 cups chopped onions; 1/4 ounce dried porcini (about 1/4 cup loosely packed pieces); 8 fresh sage leaves; 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from the stem; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; A 4-to-5-pound boneless beef shoulder roast (preferably a “top blade” or “top chuck shoulder” roast); 1/2 cup or so all-purpose flour for dredging; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 cups dry red wine; 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted; 2 cups hot beef, poultry, or vegetable broth, plus more as needed; 6 cups (two 28-ounce cans) canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand; Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano for the table; A heavy-bottomed saucepan or braising pan, preferably just a bit bigger than the roast, such as an enameled cast-iron French oven, round or oval, with a cover; a food processor

December 9, 2011

Sugo is a word that means “sauce,” or sometimes “juice,” but here it tells only part of the story. Sugo alla Genovese is a traditional braised-meat dish that gives you a big pot filled with both a tender, succulent beef roast and a rich, meaty tomato sauce. Like others of my favorite braises (such as Braised Leg of Lamb in the Abruzzo chapter, page 258), it yields a bounty of sauce, enough to dress pasta as a first course and to serve as gravy on the sliced meat for a main course. What makes this sugo distinctively alla Genovese is an unusual step in the procedure. After you have caramelized the aromatic vegetables and herbs and browned the meat, you begin building the sauce with red wine. Then you set the meat aside and purée the seasonings with pine nuts to create a complex thickened base for the sauce, reminiscent of pesto alla Genovese. This then goes back in the pan, and everything cooks together slowly for hours, resulting in a sugo that is absolutely delicious and certainly unique.

Recipe notes

Chewy Glazed Lemon Cookies

The zest of three whole lemons gives these cookies a no-holds-barred citrus flavor.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Diner-Style Apple Pie With Lattice Crust

Cut this easy-to-handle dough (thanks, cream cheese) into wide strips for a fast-forming lattice that stuns.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Chocolate Pie

Reminiscent of a classic diner dessert, this chocolate cream pie offers pure comfort in a cookie crust.