Conti Family Meat Sauce

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lamb necks (inexpensive pieces) or 2 lbs lamb shoulder, with bones (inexpensive pieces)
• 1/2 lb beef (inexpensive cuts)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion (coarsely chopped)
• 3 (35 ounce) cans italian plum tomatoes with juice
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• meatballs

Recipe

• 1 rinse the lamb and beef, pat dry and cut into pieces roughly 4 inches square.
• 2 heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot and cook the onion until translucent.
• 3 push the onion aside, and working with a few pieces at a time, brown the meat on all sides.
• 4 push the tomatoes through a strainer to remove the seeds and pour the into the pot with all the meat.
• 5 season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• 6 boil briskly for 15 minutes, then reduce the heast so that the sauce simmers gently and partially over the pot.
• 7 cook, stirring occasionally for 2 1/2 hours.
• 8 (if the sauce becomes too thick, add small amounts of hot water.).
• 9 if using the braciole, drop them into the pot after the sauce has cooked for 1 hour.
• 10 add the meatballs for the last 45 minutes of cooking.
• 11 remove the meats from the sauce.
• 12 serve the sauce over pasta and serve the meats separately.