2000s Recipes + Menus

Wine Sauce

Serves8 to 10
  • Active time:45 min
  • Start to finish:3 3/4 hr
April 2009
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage links, cut into thirds
  • 1 lb hot Italian sausage links, cut into thirds
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
  • 2 (28-oz) cans tomato purée
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 6 Turkish or 3 California bay leaves
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • Cook onions in oil in a wide 6-qt heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes.
  • Pat pork shoulder dry. Push onions aside and reduce heat to medium, then brown pork on all sides. Transfer pork to a bowl, then brown sausage in same manner and add to bowl.
  • Add 1 cup broth to onions in pot and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits. Stir in tomato paste and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato purée, cloves, bay leaves, and remaining 5 cups broth and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Add meat with its juices and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours.
  • Add wine and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour. Season with salt. Discard bay leaves. Transfer meat to a bowl and serve meat and sauce with pasta.
Cooks’ notes:
  • You can substitute 3 lb country-style ribs for the pork shoulder (discard bones after cooking).
  • Sauce can be made 2 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).
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