Neapolitan Meat Sauce - Ragu Napoletano Alla Anna Galasso

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs top round steaks, cut 1/8-inch thick
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup pecorino cheese, grated
• 4 meaty spareribs, on the bone
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Colavita)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch basil leaves, stemmed, and torn into pieces

• 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine or white wine
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Dry the round steak with paper towels, and rub it on both sides with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Sprinkle the meat with the parsley and cheese.

3. 3

   Roll the meat up like a jellyroll, and tie it in several places with kitchen string.

4. 4

   Salt and pepper the spare ribs. Set the meats aside.

5. 5

   Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy duty pot. Over medium heat, brown the round steak and spare ribs in the oil on all sides. This will take about 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Stir in the onion, celery and carrot and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and basil. Cook 1 minute.

7. 7

   Combine the tomatoes and wine in a bowl. Slowly pour the mixture over the meat.

8. 8

   Stir in the tablespoon of salt, a grinding of pepper, and the sugar.

9. 9

   Cover the pot, bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, and cook the sauce until the meat is fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

10. 10

    Remove the meat to a dish. Cover the dish, and refrigerate the meat to make it easier to cut when cold.

11. 11

    When ready to use, transfer the round steak to a cutting board, and cut the strings from the round steak with a kitchen scissors.

12. 12

    Cut into neat slices about 1/4-1/2" thick.

13. 13

    Add to the sauce. Cut the meat off the bones of the spareribs and add the pieces to the sauce.

14. 14

    Use the sauce for pasta dishes both boiled and baked.