Michael's note: Add a little extra-virgin olive oil if the meat is lean. Substitute finely ground chicken or turkey for this sandwich.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 40 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground pork sausage meat
1 tablespoon fennel seed
3 tablespoons California chili powder
1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
Gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, roughly pureed or crushed by hand
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chicken broth, beef broth, or water for thinning sauce
6 large soft hamburger buns, split
Directions
- In a large bowl, mix together the sausage meat, fennel seed, chili powders, and salt and pepper, to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the sausage mixture until browned. Remove it from the pan and set aside; drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Stir in the tomato paste, pureed tomatoes, and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the cooked sausage. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick, thin it with a little broth or water.
