recipe
Meat, Fish, Soup, Stews, and Savory Sauces

Meat Sauce

Make-ahead foods are the perfect saviour for time-pressed cooks. Serve versatile sauces with pasta, potatoes or rice. Or, add more ingredients to make easy, one-dish meals.

Ingredients:

  • 5 Lb (2.3 kg) lean ground beef or pork
  • 2 cups (500 ml) chopped onions
  • 1 cup (250 ml) chopped green pepper
  • 9 cups (2250 ml) canned or cooked tomatoes, including juice
  • 2 2/3 cups (650 ml) tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup (50 ml) chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar
  • 4 tsp (20 ml) salt
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
  • 1/2 tsp (2 ml) Each: pepper, ginger & ground allspice
  • 2 tbsp (25 ml) vinegar

Directions:


  • Place the required number of clean 500 ml or 1 L mason jars on rack in pressure canner; add water and heat jars to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.

  • Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.

  • In large fry pan, brown meat in small batches. Drain off excess fat and transfer meat to large stainless steel saucepan. Add onions and pepper to meat; cook and stir until vegetables are tender crisp. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook and stir until mixture boils. Continue cooking until sauce reduces slightly. Skim off excess fat if necessary.

  • Ladle hot prepared sauce into a hot jar to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top rim (head space).

  • Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining sauce. If stacking jars, place a second rack between layers of jars.

  • When pressure canner is full, adjust water to level as directed by canner manufacturer. Lock canner lid in place and follow manufacturer’s heating instructions. Vent canner–allow steam to escape steadily–for 10 minutes; close vent.

  • When canner reaches the pressure appropriate for your altitude* and type of pressure canner, begin counting processing time. Process – heat filled jars – for time indicated: 500 ml jars 60 minutes; 1 L jars – 75 minutes.

  • NOTE: processing times indicated are for a weighted gauge pressure canner used at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m). When using a dial gauge pressure canner or canning at higher elevations, adjust pressure according to chart.

  • When processing time is complete turn off heat. Allow canner to stand undisturbed until pressure drops to zero. Wait 2 minutes, and then remove cover, tilting it away from your face. Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store in a cool, dark place.

PRINTER FRIENDLY RECIPE

Reviews

June 26, 2016

RC Canner

home

This made 12 x 500ml jars, not 6!, but it's a good recipe. I'm glad to have found a recipe that uses canned tomatoes to cut back on the peeling and dicing.