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Robin Ward

Lazy Sugo (Samin Nosrat’s Meat Sauce)

A slow‑simmered Italian meat sauce layered with pork, beef, wine, and tomatoes—rich, cozy, and endlessly adaptable. Beloved by home cooks for its depth of flavor and forgiving technique, this “lazy” sugo rewards patience with a sauce you’ll want to make again and again.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
  • 1¼ cups water
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 1 large pinch chile flakes
  • 1 cup dry red ow white wine
  • 2 lbs. bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 1-pound pieces, salted in advance (see Tip) (I used pork shoulder bone-in steaks)
  • 2 lbs. beef shank or osso buco (about 2 large pieces), salted in advance (see Tip)
  • 2 yellow onions, peeled and halved lengthwise through the root
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 Parmesan rinds (Use 2–3 pieces, depending on size (1 is fine if large).
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2tablespoons sugar (optional)

Equipment

  • Dutch oven (or large heavy bottomed pot)

Method
 

  1. Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and crush them thoroughly with your hands (wear an apron!). Rinse the cans with 1¼ cups water, swirling to release any remaining juice, then add the water to the tomatoes and set aside.
  2. Set a large nonreactive Dutch oven (see Notes) over medium heat. Add the oil and tomato paste. Cook, stirring and breaking up the paste, until the oil turns orange, about 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and wine; simmer for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, pork, beef shank, onions, garlic, Parmesan rinds, and bay leaves. Season well with salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to medium‑high and, stirring often, bring the sauce to a steady simmer.
  3. Partly cover the pot and reduce the heat to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. Give it an occasional stir and scrape to prevent scorching, especially in the center where the meat tends to settle. Cook until the beef and pork are both incredibly tender and falling off the bone — usually around 3½ to 4½ hours total, depending on the size of your pieces. (Some cuts cook faster, some slower; you’ll know it’s ready when the meat basically collapses when nudged with tongs.) Once the meat is tender, lift it out with tongs or a slotted spoon and set it aside.
  4. Once all the meat is cooked, turn off the heat and remove and discard the onions, Parmesan rinds and bay leaves from the sauce. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, pick through it and discard the bones, gristle and soft fat clumps, reserving the cartilaginous bits and hard fat strips. Use forks or your hands to shred the meat and return it to the sauce. Very finely chop the cartilaginous bits (they will add body!) from the shank and any kind of hard fat (it will add so much texture and flavor!) from the pork and return it to the sauce.
  5. Return the sauce to a simmer and adjust the seasoning with salt, black pepper and sugar if needed. Cook until the flavors have melded and the sauce has reduced to your desired thickness, another 20 to 30 minutes.
  6. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Return to a boil before serving.

Notes

Tip: When possible, season meat in advance of cooking so that salt has time to penetrate, enhance flavor, and — if done early enough — tenderize. In terms of timing, any time is better than none, and more is better than some, up to about 48 hours.
 
Note: A nonreactive pot (like stainless steel or enameled cast iron) won’t react with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or wine. Avoid aluminum, unlined cast iron, or copper, which can cause metallic flavors.