TomHofstätter.com

I mean no disrespect to you or your mother. Or her mother. But, my mother and her sister made a sauce which is better than any you’ve had before. I realize this is a bold statement, and I am open to the possibility that I may be wrong, (I’m not) so I urge you to give this recipe a try and let me know.

The genius of this dish is that while I respect that there is a storied history, and limitless regional variety of what is ostensibly an Italian classic, this ‘aint one of them.

My mom is from Vienna, not Sicily, and so there is no pretense of Old-World classical Italian village anything. Just pork fat goodness.

You could add fresh tomatos, mushrooms, or cellery. But why? In the words of my friend Matt who has eaten at my mother’s table: “Some people make meat sauce. Mrs. Hofstätter makes meat!”.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 500g / 1.15 lbs. lean ground pork
• 8 – 10 slices of bacon, diced
• 1 – 2 large white onions, diced, about 2 cups
• 1 small can tomato paste, 156 ml / 5.5 oz
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon each: cayenne pepper, dried chili flakes, garlic powder, black pepper

Cooking (10 minutes prep, 45 – 60 simmer)

1. In a skillet, cook the bacon until crispy
2. Add the diced onion and cook until browned
3. Sprinkle with the flour and stir gently until all the fat is absorbed
4. In another large pot, brown the ground pork
5. Add the dry spices and tomato paste and mix well
6. Add the bacon/onion mixture and 1 cup of water to the large pot. Mix and cover
7. Simmer for 45 – 60 minutes

Serve over spaghetti or your favourite pasta. Vary the ingredients and try it often, soon you’ll make it your own. Enjoy.

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