This sauce captures the great flavor of pizza.

Four Beef Short Ribs
Four Cups of Tomato Sauce
A Cup of Dry Red Wine (select one that you would drink)
Four Minced Garlic Cloves
A Finely Diced Small Hot Red Pepper (such as an Anaheim or Red Hot Cherry)
1/2 Cup of Diced Spanish Onion
A Teaspoon of Olive Oil
Two Teaspoons of Sea Salt (Divided)
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
A Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

Sprinkle the short ribs evenly with a teaspoon of sea salt and the ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a Dutch oven, add the olive oil and put the pot on high heat. Let the pan heat for 3-4 minutes or until the olive oil begins to smoke slightly. Brown the short ribs on all sides and remove the ribs to a plate.

Turn the heat under the pot to medium. Add the garlic, the red hot pepper, the onion, the oregano, and a teaspoon of sea salt. Cook on medium heat for three minutes while stirring constantly. Add the red wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the brown bits that have accumulated. Cook the wine mixture for three minutes. Add the tomato sauce. Stir well. Taste and add more sea salt, if needed. Add the beef and any juices that accumulated in the plate to the pot.

Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with pasta or polenta.

This recipe was selected as one of the finalists for the sixth annual “Create the Perfect Burger” contest sponsored by the New York Beef Industry Council at the 2012 New York State Fair.

Two Pounds Of Ground Veal
Six Onion Rolls
Six Slices Of Provolone Cheese
Two Roasted Red Peppers (With The Seeds And The Stems Removed)
Two Roasted Roma Tomatoes
Two Roasted Garlic Cloves
A Tablespoon Of Chopped Roasted Red Onion
Two Teaspoons Of Red Wine Vinegar
Two Teaspoons Of Frank’s Louisiana Hot Sauce
Three Teaspoons Of Salt, Divided
¼ Teaspoon Of Black Pepper
1/3 Cup Of Panko Bread Crumbs
A Beaten Egg
¼ Cup Of Milk
A Teaspoon Of Onion Powder
A Teaspoon Of Garlic Powder
A Teaspoon Of Paprika
½ Teaspoon Of Cayenne Pepper
A Teaspoon Of Mustard Powder
A Tablespoon Of Grated Romano Cheese
Olive Oil

Ketchup Recipe

To roast the red peppers and the tomatoes, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle the peppers and the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven set at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

To roast the red onion and the garlic, brush both with olive oil and sprinkle both with salt and pepper. Wrap the onion and the garlic in aluminum foil and roast in the oven along with the peppers and the tomatoes.

Roughly chop the roasted red onion and put the chopped onion in a blender. Squeeze out the roasted garlic flesh into the blender. Remove the seeds, the charred skin, and the stems from the roasted peppers. Leave the tomatoes whole. Combine the peppers, the tomatoes, the red wine vinegar, the hot sauce, and a teaspoon of salt with the garlic and the onion in the blender. Blend until smooth. Put the ketchup in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

Burger Recipe

Combine the ground veal, two teaspoons of salt, the black pepper, the breadcrumbs, the beaten egg, the milk, the garlic powder, the onion powder, the paprika, the mustard powder, the grated cheese, and the cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix well with your hands. Form the meat mixture into six equal patties.

Cook the patties on a hot gas grill for about five minutes on each side or until an internal temperature of 160 degrees is achieved. Add the cheese to the tops of the burgers and close the lid. Cook until the cheese has melted. Remove the burgers from the grill. Put the onion rolls on the grill cut side down. Cook for not more than a minute. Place the burgers on the rolls and serve them with the roasted red pepper and tomato ketchup.

A Pound Of 85% Ground Beef
A Pound Of Sweet Italian Sausage (Removed From The Casing)
½ Cup Of Diced Spanish Onion
A Minced Garlic Clove
A Tablespoon Of Olive Oil
¾ Cup Of Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Two Beaten Eggs
½ Cup Of Skim Milk
A Cup Of Tomato Puree
Four Cups Of Breadcrumbs
¼ Cup Of Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
¼ Cup Of Finely Chopped Basil
A Teaspoon Of Garlic Powder
Two Teaspoons Of Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Of Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
12 Ounces Of Cooked Baby Spinach (With Most Of The Water Squeezed Out)
Four Slices Of Capicola
Four Slices Of Mozzarella Cheese

Combine the onion, the garlic, and the olive oil in a small sauté pan. Sprinkle the vegetables with a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook on low heat stirring occasionally for four minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the ground beef, the sausage, the cooked onion, the cooked garlic, the grated cheese, the eggs, the skim milk, the tomato puree, the breadcrumbs, the parsley, the basil, the sea salt, the black pepper, the crushed red pepper flakes, and the garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Using you hands, mix well to incorporate all of the ingredients.

Place half of the meat mixture on a greased baking sheet. Spread it out with your hands into roughly a six inch wide by twelve inch long rectangle. The thickness should be about an inch.  Evenly place the cooked spinach on top of the meat mixture. Place the capicola slices on top of the spinach. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the capicola. Place the other half of the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella. Wet your hands with cold water. Using your hands, form the meat loaf making sure to completely surround and seal the spinach, the capicola, and the mozzarella with the meat mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for two hours. Let the meat loaf sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

1 1/2 Pounds Of 85% Ground Beef

A Beaten Egg

Three Slices Of Day Old Italian Bread

Two Cups Of Panko Bread Crumbs

1/4 Cup Of Finely Diced Celery

3/4 Cup Of Finely Diced Spanish Onion

3/4 Cup Of Finely Diced Green Bell Pepper

Two Minced Garlic Cloves

A Cup Of Tomato Sauce

A Tablespoon Of Hot Pepper Sauce (Add More If You Like Hot And Spicy)

1/2 Cup Of Cold Water

Three Teaspoons Of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper

A Tablespoon Of Olive Oil

Add the ground beef to a mixing bowl. Season the ground beef with a teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Into a saute pan, add the olive oil, the celery, the onion, the green bell pepper, the garlic, a teaspoon of sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Cook while stirring frequently on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the heat.

To the mixing bowl with the ground beef, add the bread crumbs, the cooked vegetables, the water, the tomato sauce and the hot sauce. Using your hands, mix well. Add the beaten egg and mix until the egg is well incorporated throughout the meat loaf mixture. With your hands, form the meat mixture into a loaf about a foot long, 3 inches deep and 5 inches wide. The meat loaf does not have to have these exact dimensions.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the three slices of bread in the middle of a sheet pan.  Set the formed meat loaf directly on top of the bread slices. By utilizing the bread slices in this manner, all of the fat of the meat let out during the cooking process will be absorbed by the bread instead of being released onto the sheet pan.

Bake in the oven for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Remove the bread slices from the bottom of the meat loaf before cutting.

This dish is best prepared on a Weber charcoal grill using the indirect cooking method. The hot charcoal briquets are pushed to the sides. The formed meat loaf is placed in an aluminum pan and the pan is placed in the middle of the cooking grate in between the hot briquets. If you are using a gas grill, turn the heat down to the lowest setting.

1 3/4 Pounds Of 85% Ground Beef

A Diced Portobello Mushroom Cap

Two Minced Garlic Cloves

1/4 Cup Of Diced Roasted Red Bell Pepper

3/4 Cup Of Diced Red Onion

1/2 Cup Of Diced Celery

1/2 Cup Of Tomato Sauce

A Teaspoon Of Brown Sugar

Two Teaspoons Of Frank’s Louisiana Hot Sauce

A Tablespoon Of Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard 

Two Teaspoons Of Worcestershire Sauce

3 1/2 Teaspoons Of Salt, Divided

A Teaspoon Of Black Pepper

A Tablespoon Of Olive Oil

A Teaspoon Of Paprika

3/4 Cup Of Panko Bread Crumbs

An Egg

Into a saute pan, add the olive oil, the mushrooms, the red onion, the garlic, the celery, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook on medium low heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Into a mixing bowl, add the ground beef, the sauteed vegetables, the roasted red bell pepper, the tomato sauce, the mustard, the hot sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, the brown sugar, three teaspoons of salt, the paprika, a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, the bread crumbs, and the egg. Using your hands, mix the meat and bread crumb mixture well. Form the mixture into a loaf. Spray an aluminum pan with cooking spray. Place the meat loaf in the center of the pan.

Cook on the covered grill for 1 1/2 hours.  Let the meat loaf sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.

“Mexican Lasagna”

Twelve Small Corn Tortillas

1 1/2 Pounds Of 80/20 Ground Beef

A Cup Of Chicken Stock

Two Tablespoons Of Tomato Paste

A Whole Jalapeno Pepper

A Tablespoon Of Red Onion Left Whole

Two Unpeeled Garlic Cloves

A Whole Red Bell Pepper

The Juice Of 1/2 Lime

A Teaspoon Of Chipotle Pepper Powder, Divided

1 1/2 Teaspoons Of Paprika, Divided

1 1/2 Teaspoons Of Cumin, Divided

1/2 Teaspoon Of Dried Oregano

Four Teaspoons Of Salt, Divided

1/4 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper

Two Cups Of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Two Teaspoons Of Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Rub the jalapeno pepper, garlic, and the red onion with olive oil and sprinkle these vegetables with salt and black pepper. Wrap these vegetables in aluminum foil. Rub the red bell pepper with olive oil. Place the red bell pepper and the wrapped vegetables on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the skin of the red bell pepper turns dark brown. Remove the vegetables from the oven and let them cool.

Into a skillet, add the ground beef, a teaspoon of salt, a 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, and a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Cook on medium high heat while stirring. Try to break up the ground meat into small pieces. When the meat is browned, drain it in a colander to remove the excess fat.

Remove the stem from the jalapeno pepper. Remove the stem and the seeds from the red bell pepper. Squeeze the cooked flesh out of the garlic skin and remove the outer layer of the red onion. Into a blender, add the jalapeno pepper, the red bell pepper, the garlic flesh, the red onion, the chicken stock, the tomato paste, the lime juice, 3/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder, a teaspoon of paprika, a teaspoon of cumin, the oregano, and three teaspoons of salt. Blend the mixture until smooth. Taste and add more salt and/or chipotle pepper powder, if desired. Place this sauce in a shallow bowl.

Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes so that the tortillas become pliable.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat lightly on both sides. Put approximately two tablespoons of the ground beef in the middle of the tortilla. Gently roll the tortilla up like a cigar being careful not to break it. Place the filled tortilla  in the greased casserole dish seam side down. Continue this process until all of the tortillas are filled.

Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with your favorite salsa and/or guacamole.