Sicilian Meat Sauce

Name: Sicilian Meat Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings.
Cuisine: Italian Dinners, Italian Recipes
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 3 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs; 1 medium onion, chopped; 3 to 5 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed or diced tomatoes, drained; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, drained; 3 bay leaves; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped capers, drained; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1 cup beef broth; 1/2 cup dry red wine or additional beef broth; Hot cooked pasta; Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

People have told me this is better than the gravy their Sicilian grandmothers used to make. But don’t tell the old generation that! —Emory Doty, Jasper, Georgia

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed or diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine or additional beef broth
Hot cooked pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork ribs in batches; transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker.
Add remaining oil to Dutch oven; saute onion for 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute more. Add next 11 ingredients. Pour in broth and red wine; bring to a light boil. Transfer to slow cooker. Cook, covered, until pork is tender, about 6 hours.
Discard bay leaves. Remove meat from slow cooker; shred or pull apart, discarding bones. Return meat to sauce. Serve over pasta; if desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.