Norman’s Weekend Spaghetti

Norman’s Weekend Spaghetti

Well it has been almost two months since the Great Lisle Flood of 2013. Over half the homes on my side of the street are still vacant. Since the flood, my housemates are still waiting to find out what kind of repairs will be allowed for their house and when it can start. They have no idea when they'll be able to move back in.

The Great Lisle Flood of 2013: My front yard then and now! 

In the meantime, we've settled into one big happy household and we're getting along just great. Every night we all sit down for dinner together at one or more tables. We've had grilled sausages a lot, as well as pizza. The one meal we have more than any other is pasta. I haven't served this recipe to them yet, but it was always one of my favorites. Maybe I'll make this for them this weekend.

Do you ever have the craving for a good, rich spaghetti dinner? Sometimes I’m really in the mood for spaghetti with an extra rich meat sauce. Sadly, you can’t get that kind of richness from a fast cooking sauce. You have to cook the meat in the sauce until the meat is actually falling off the bone. It takes time to get the meat ready to easily shred. Trust me, that is the way you want the meat to end up for this spaghetti sauce. This recipe calls for pork neck bones, but if you can find some bone-in lamb stew meat, that makes a nice variation for this sauce.

Now, if you have the time and want to make this sauce extra special, roast the seasoned neck bones using indirect heat on a charcoal grill for an hour. This will add a subtle smoky flavor to the sauce. If you do that, skip the part where you brown them.

Now, don’t start complaining. This sauce is not that hard to make. The stove (or the oven) does most of the work. If you make this sauce, everyone will be so impressed with you. Don't worry, you'll get used to that reaction. I did.

1-1/2 lb. pork neck bones

Cajun seasoning

Olive oil (or use bacon fat)

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

Salt and white pepper

Red pepper flakes

1 can of tomato paste

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 bay leaves

3 branches of thyme (or ½ tsp. dry)

2 cups red wine

2-1/2 cups chicken stock

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

½ lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup fresh, chopped basil (or 1 tsp. dry)

3 tbs. butter

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente

Preparation

The first thing you need to do is to season the neck bones all over with a flavorful Cajun seasoning, and rub it in good. Next brown them on all sides in the olive oil (or bacon fat, if you have some) using a large Dutch oven. When they are nicely browned, remove them to a plate. 

Add the carrots, celery and onions to the Dutch oven and cook until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and season the vegetables with some salt, white pepper and red pepper flakes. Now add the can of tomato paste. No wait. Add it’s contents and throw the can in the trash (What? OK, don’t throw it in the trash. Wash the can until it is sparkling clean and then place it very gently in the recycle bin. Don’t nag me). 

Stir the paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the bay leaves. Add the wine and stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Allow the wine to come to a boil. Add the chicken stock and the thyme. Stir and scrape up anything that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. 

Take the sliced mushrooms and basil and add them to the sauce. Return the neck bones to the sauce as well. Cover and simmer gently, stirring often for at least two hours. If you would rather, you could place the covered Dutch oven in a 275 degree oven for the same amount of time, just remember to take it out for a good stir every once in a while. 

When you notice that the meat is beginning to fall off the bone, take the neck bones out of the sauce and allow them to cool. Remove the meat from the bones, and shred it with a fork. Return the meat to the sauce and simmer it, uncovered to allow it to thicken as needed. When the sauce is the right thickness, remove it from the heat and stir in the 3 tbs. of butter until it is melted and mixed in.  

Serving

Place a large (I mean big) pile of spaghetti on a plate and smother it in this sauce. Next sprinkle a heavy blanket of fresh grated Parmesan cheese all over the spaghetti. I believe you should also have a made-from-scratch Caesar salad to go with your spaghetti. Oh, and don’t forget the warm, fresh homemade bread, slathered with butter. You have to have that. 

For an appetizer, I suggest some goat cheese, wrapped in prosciutto and seared in some extra-good olive oil. For the wine, I don’t think you could go wrong with a fine Petite Sirah. Now, for dessert, I think a warm crumb coffee cake and a thick, rich espresso would do it for me. 

If someone asks what you had for dinner, smile and say, “Oh, I just had spaghetti”.