GREEK MEAT and TOMATO SAUCE
Grrrrrgh!
Course : Greek
From: HungryMonster.com
Serves: 6-8
Meat and tomato sause used in Pasticcio.
 

Ingredients:

2 - 3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion - chopped
1 large clove garlic - chopped
1 tbsp. tomatoe paste
1 tsp. ground fresh pepper. About 8 - 10 grinds of peppermill. (More if needed after cooking for a while.)
1 tsp. sea salt, grey salt or kosher salt (More if needed after cooking for a while.)
2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
2 tsp. dried basil (or equivalent fresh basil if available)
1 tsp. sugar (heaped)
pinch allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon (or more if you wish)
1 1/2 lb. extra lean ground hamburger
1 28 oz. can Kitchen Ready Pastene tomatoes or equivalent crushed tomatoes like Contidina.
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
 

Preparation:

Heat saucepan over medium high heat for a minute or two and add olive oil. Heat oil until hot and ready to sizzle. Quickly add all chopped chopped onions and a little pepper. Stir quickly and saute for a couple of minutes until soft and then add the garlic and saute for a minute until oil is flavored but garlic has not burned. Add tomatoe paste and stir all together until tomatoe paste has cooked for a couple of minutes and blended with the onions and garlic. This gives the sauce some structure. Begin adding ground beef in small handfuls stirring with wooden spoon until meat looses its pink color and all the meat is added to the pot. Keep stirring. When all meat is mixed well with the onions and garlic and seems mostly browned, add salt, rest of pepper, oregano, basil, sugar, cinnamon and just about an 1/8th of a teaspoon of the allspice and stir until everything is mixed in. Add tomatoes and rinse out can with a half cup of water and add to the saucepan. Add parsley. Keep stirring and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered or partially covered for about 40 minutes. Check every 10 or 15 minutes and stir a little. When almost done check for seasoning to see if perhaps more salt, pepper, cinnamon or sugar is needed. Sauce should be rather thick. Cool and refrigerate covered with plastic wrap until ready to use or freeze for later use.