Mama Mauros Red Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and grated onion and saute for 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomato paste, red pepper flakes and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer and reduces slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Transfer the pasta to the skillet with the sauce, adding a little pasta water if need be, and toss together. Plate high and mighty and garnish with basil leaves and fresh Parmesan.

Steps:

• To cook in a slow cooker: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides to create a beautiful crust, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Deglaze the pan with the vodka and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Transfer the liquid from the pan to a slow cooker.
• Add the marinara sauce, heavy cream, salt and pepper to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the meatballs. Cook on high until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thickened slightly, 2 to 4 hours. When ready to serve, top with fresh cheese and torn basil leaves.
• To cook on the stove top: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides to create a beautiful crust, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, leaving behind as much of the oil in the pot as possible. Add the vodka and cook for about 30 seconds to deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom.
• Add the marinara sauce, heavy cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low, return the meatballs back to the pot and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thickened slightly, 30 to 45 minutes. When ready to serve, top with fresh cheese and torn basil leaves.

Steps:

• Prepare pork roasts by boiling the meat with about 2 tablespoons of garlic salt per roast. Use as many pots as you need to accommodate the roast. Cook the meat until fork tender and comes apart with no resistance. This usually takes about 2 hours. Reserve pork broth. Pull meat apart into chunks and refrigerate until ready to use.
• While the meat is cooking, clean dried chilies by removing the tops and discarding the seeds. Place pods into a bath of water and soak for a few minutes. While pods are soaking, fill a large pot halfway with water. Place your clean chili pods in the water and push them down until the water covers all. Bring to a boil and then simmer 34 to 45 minutes. When done, remove from heat.
• Transfer small bunches of the tender chili pods to a blender and blend on high until the pods turn to a liquid mixture. (The seed and skins will make the mixture seem a little chunky but that will be removed in a food mill.) Pour the chili sauce into a food mill which should be attached to a bowl or saucepan. Run the sauce through the mill until no more liquid is left in the top of the mill. Discard the leftover seeds and skin. Repeat this process for the remaining chili sauce until all of it has been run through the food mill. Next, add the ground cumin to the chili sauce. This sauce uses quite a bit of salt; add small amounts at a time, to taste.
• Once chili sauce is properly seasoned, add pork to the chili sauce. Stir until thoroughly mixed. No need to heat, just put the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Open packages of cornhusks and remove the silk from each husk. Place cornhusks into a sink filled with warm water. Let the husks soak for about 3 minutes. Remove the husks from the water and place on a cookie sheet and cover with damp towel to keep moist.
• Prepare masa according to the directions on the package, or buy pre-made masa, available at specialty ethnic food stores. Also try calling a Mexican restaurant, they may make it for you. To soften up the masa before you work with it, add approximately 2 cups of the reserved pork broth.
• Once softened, divide masa into deep bowls amongst the people helping. Press masa flat, down into the bowl, creating a flat surface. Take 1 cornhusk and lay it flat, add a large dollop of the masa onto the husk. Spread the masa out onto the leaf with the back of a spoon to create a thin paste like coverage, being sure to leave no holes. Place 2 tablespoons of the chili sauce/pork mixture onto the masa. (It?s best to keep a bowl of the sauce next to you at all times.) Fold the tamale bringing two sides together so that they slightly overlap, then fold the bottom up over the folded sides. Press down slightly on top of tamale while holding everything in place and the masa will act as a glue to seal the filling.
• Place tamales standing upright into a large double steamer. Steam for 2 hours. Remove tamales from steamer and let stand about 5 minutes. Pull off husk and eat. If desired, tamales may be frozen in plastic storage bags. To steam frozen tamales, just add 1 hour to the cooking time.

Steps:

• Season the pork shoulder all over with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high. Working in batches if necessary, cook the pork until browned on two sides, 8 to 10 minutes total, adding more oil if the pan looks dry. Transfer pieces to a bowl as they finish. Add the sausages to the pot and cook until browned, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to the bowl.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, if needed, and the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the red wine, stir, scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and basil, then fill one of the 28-ounce cans with water. (You'll use it in a second.) Return the pork shoulder and sausages to the pot, along with any accumulated juices in the bowl. Nudge them around so they are submerged. Add the meatballs on top, then add enough water from the can to cover the meat. (There's no need to stir.) Partly cover the pot, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork shoulder falls apart when shredded with a fork, 2 to 2½ hours.
• When you're ready to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, slice the sausage and shred the pork shoulder. Transfer to a platter along with the meatballs and a few spoonfuls of sauce. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and add the pasta to the pot of sauce. Over medium heat, toss the pasta with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed until the sauce clings to the pasta.
• Divide pasta between bowls, then top with a bit of each meat. Pass the Parmesan and platter of meat at the table.