Directions: 

You’ll need to use a deep pot or Dutch oven to hold all of this.

1. Brown your choice of meat, break it apart, and a generous amount of the seasonings. Remove the meat once it is just cooked, but do not remove the oils. This will take around 10-12 minutes 

You want to do most of your seasoning of the ingredients before putting all of the liquids in because that will give them a chance to bloom. Then once everything is put together, we will taste it and decide what else is needed.

2. Sauté the diced carrots, onion, and celery in the oils from the meat — this oil will have a great deal of seasonings and flavor. Add more oil if needed to keep the vegetables from burning or getting crispy. This will take around 15-20 minutes.

3. Add the meat back into the pot, mix the vegetables and meat together. Add the milk or heavy cream and combine. Keep the heat low and let the liquid cook down until you can see the bottom of the pot when you stir it. This will take around 30-45 minutes

I use heavy cream more often when making this dish because I like how rich it makes it; however, it will take longer to cook down, so be mindful of when you start for when you want to actually eat.

4. Once the milk or heavy cream has cooked down, add the wine or cranberry juice. Let the liquid cook down until you can see the bottom of the pot when you stir it. This will take around 30 minutes.

Wine will give the dish a deeper, more robust flavor; cranberry juice will give the dish a sweeter lighter flavor. I have enjoyed them both depending on what I’m looking for that day.

5. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables and meat.

6. Add the stock and the crushed tomatoes. Stir it all together and let it simmer at a very low heat for around 90-120 minutes, stirring routinely. 

You will certainly want to cover the pot for this part, leaving it just slightly off center for air to steam — the sauce will splash.

7. Once the sauce has simmered for at least 30 minutes, taste to see if it needs any more seasonings. Do not be afraid to add more salt than you normally use! 

If you are concerned at the acidity level or are prone to acid reflux issues, add a teaspoon of baking soda — it does wonders to reduce the acidity.

8. At this point, the sauce is done. You can either combine in with some cooked noodles and eat a wonderful meal, or you can put it in storage containers and put it in the freezer to save for later. Then, you have a beautiful, home cooked meal in just a few minutes.

ENJOY!