Sunday Sugo

Sunday Sugo

Courtesy of Cook's Country's Lost Recipes
(Makes enough for 3 pounds of pasta. Gah! Freeze leftovers in individually portioned Ziploc bags.)

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb Hot Italian Sausages (4-6 links), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb Sweet Italian Sausages (4-6 links), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb boneless Beef Chuck-Eye Roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and Pepper
3 Onions, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped (I do not like green peppers – I substituted orange)
1 (6-oz) can Tomato Paste
8 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Fresh Oregano, minced
1-2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 lb 93% Lean Ground Beef
3 (28-oz) cans Crushed Tomatoes (San Marzano as always!)
1 (14.5-oz) can Diced Tomatoes “”
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Plain Dried Bread Crumbs (I used Panko)
½ cup Fresh Basil, chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a bowl.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon more oil in the pot over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the beef to the bowl with the sausages.
Head the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, bell peppers, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until the tomato paste begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the ground beef, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, breaking up any large clumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cheese, sugar, and bread crumbs. Return the sausages and beef, along with any accumulated juices, to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened, about 1 hour longer.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the basil. Mangia!