When life gives you vodka, make a sauce!

Every good cook needs to be able to make a good tomato based meat sauce. It's the base of many dishes - spaghetti, lasagna, chili, and even meat loaf, so the classic recipe needs to be extremely easy to put together, and made with ingredients that are always within pantry reach.

I've made numerous changes to the recipe over the years (check this one out from last year here), but the recipe will always have the following ingredients: A beef & pork mix (pork for texture and flavor), tomatoes (canned when you are in a pinch), tomato paste (not always bad for you), onions. The secret ingredient is always an alcohol, and I think this recipe tops the lot with the alcohol of choice - Vodka!

Here's the recipe!

Vodka Meat Ragu

2 lbs Pork & Beef, Hand Ground
1 lbs Mixed Tomatoes,diced, preferably Roma, cherry, sweet 100s
1 ea Carrot, Brunoise
1 ea Celery, Brunoise
1/4 ea Onion, Bruinoise
1 cup Vodka
2 tbs Tomato Paste
2 tbs Fresh Herb, minced - parsley, oregano, basil & thyme recommended
4 tbs Olive Oil

Salt, pepper & sugar to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan & brown meat, working in batches if necessary
2. Removed meat into a saucepot and add the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2 minutes
3. Add the tomatoes to the saucepot and leave to simmer
4. In the browned saute pan, add the onions to brown lightly, adding a little more oil if necessary
5. Add the carrots and celery and saute, then add the vodka to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits
6. Keep the vodka mixture boiling until all the alcohol burns off - be careful, vapor might ignite, but it's nothing to worry about
7. Add the vodka liquid and vegtables into the saucepot with the meat, stir in the minced herb
8. Simmer until tomatoes cook down and sauce has a thick consistency
9. Season to taste with salt, pepper & sugar

Leave to cool, and best served after the sauce is left to sit for about 2 days in the fridge