1 lb. hot Italian sausage
2 lbs. lean ground beef
4 cups of diced tomatoes (Roma if possible)
2-4 cloves garlic
2 large onions
3/4 lb. mushrooms
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeños
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil (triple that if using fresh minced basil)
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon hot paprika
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup of your favourite dry red wine
3/4 cup olive oil (1/4 for the sausage pan, 1/4 for ground beef, 1/4 for sauce)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon hot paprika

Zesty Spicy Sauce:

1. Prepare the sausage. Slice the sausages with sharp serrated blade into approximately 1/2" - 3/4" (inch) slices.

2. Heat up frying pan, use extra virgin olive oil.

3. Sear the chunks (this is to maintain their consistency in the sauce). 20 seconds per side should be adequate, we want them lightly browned, no more. Set aside on a clean plate.

4. Prepare the ground beef. In a large pot, break up the ground beef. Add 1/2 of one of the large onions, diced. Add about a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. Add 1 fully diced Jalapeño. Cook on medium, covered. Stir occasionally until ground beef is browned. Strain mixture thoroughly, and set aside.

5. Start the sauce.

In a large crock pot or large stewing/stock place in:

the prepared sausage
the prepared ground beef
5 diced large onions
1 diced Jalapeño
4 cups of diced tomatoes
2 minced fresh garlic cloves
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil (triple if using fresh minced basil)
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 chopped/diced green peppers
1 tablespoon hot paprika
3/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup any dry red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh tomato paste

6. Stir the mixture well, add the basil leaves, cover and set to a low heat.

7. Stir the sauce thoroughly and often, after the first 90 minutes taste the sauce. Add salt/pepper/garlic to taste.

8. Simmer over low heat for another hour, uncovered. Taste again; add salt/pepper/garlic to taste. Find the sauce is a bit spicier than you intended? Don't worry; add another two cups of diced tomatoes, or a little bit of brown sugar. Not hot enough? Let's add in another diced Jalapeño, and another tablespoon of hot paprika or hot pepper flakes. Or use a garlic press to add a few more cloves of garlic.

9. Test the consistency. Is the sauce too runny for your liking? Add another cup of tomato paste. Sauce too thick for your liking? Try adding a cup of water (chicken broth works well too).

10. Let it continue cooking for another hour on a low heat uncovered, stirring often. Test the sauce; it should be adjusted to your taste by this point. If adjustments still needed for taste, add spices as needed. Continue to cook until consistency and taste desired is reached (at this point it’s generally good to go for me).

Sauce freezes well.

Submitted by: Ewan (mindtrephin@hotmail.com)