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  ::  chuck's cajun spaghetti  ::

 

What you need

1 - 40 qt. soup pot (or multiple smaller pots)
Cooking oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground seasoned Italian sausage
1/3 c. bread crumbs
Tony Chachere® Creole Seasoning (you'll probably end up using about 1/3 of the can)
3 c. coarse chopped celery
3 medium yellow onions - chopped coarsely
5 cloves garlic - chopped
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 - 28 oz. cans peeled crushed tomatoes
1 - 29 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 14.5 oz. can tomato puree
2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes - Italian style (Red Gold® brand)
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes - roasted garlic & onion style (Red Gold® brand)
2 - 10 oz. cans Rotel® chunky tomatoes & green chilies
2 - 1 tbls. oregano (so 2 tbls. total)
1/2 tbls. sugar
water
pasta of your choice

 

Directions

  1. Pour a thin layer of cooking cooking oil into the bottom of pot.

  2. Heat oil on medium heat.

  3. Combine:  3/4 lb. pork, 3/4 lb. beef, 1/3 c. bread crumbs, and a few generous shakes of Tony Chachere® in a large bowl.

  4. Mold this mixture into big LOOSE meatballs.  The balls should be no smaller that 1 1/2 inches wide, and they should be loose, loose, loose.  (It's okay if they're falling apart just a little bit.)

  5. Add meatballs to the heated oil.  Do not stack them.  You won't have room for all of them, and that's fine.  You're going to babysit them anyway.  Roll them around until they're nearly cooked through.  When you take some out, you'll have room for more.  Temporarily set all meatballs aside.

  6. Drain off the oil, but keep all the crunchy residue from the meatballs.

  7. Add to the crunchy residue:  remaining 3/4 lb. pork, remaining 3/4 lb. beef, 1 lb. Italian sausage, generous shakes of Tony Chachere®, 3 c. celery (coarsely chopped), 3 medium yellow onions (coarsely chopped), 5 cloves of garlic (chopped - not pressed), and the tomato paste.

  8. Cook the loose meat mixture on medium high.  Stir it a lot.

  9. Add:  water to thin the mixture, 1 tbls. oregano, and more Tony Chachere®.

  10. Add:  all the remaining cans of tomato products, 1 tbls. oregano, and more some Tony Chachere®.

  11. Let the whole thing cook for about 1/2 an hour on medium low heat.  Stir it a lot.  Skim oil off the top of the sauce as it cooks.

  12. Add the meatballs back into the pan and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour.  Continue to stir and skim.

  13. Taste it.  If it tastes too acidic (from the tomatoes), add 1/2 tbls. sugar.  Be careful not to add too much.  A little goes a long way.

  14. Allow to cool a bit, then refrigerate and/or freeze the sauce.

  15. Serve the following day over the pasta of your choice.  (Chuck prefers shells.)