Pat LaFrieda's Rules for the Best Sunday Sauce Ever

By Chelsea Morse. Photo © Con Poulos

Celebrity butcher Pat LaFrieda has written an amazing new cookbook named, simply, Meat. F&W’s Sarah DiGregorio gets his three rules for Sunday Sauce.

Rule One 
Use any braising cut of meat. Beef short ribs give the sauce wonderful richness, but spareribs and chuck also work. LaFrieda’s mother wasn’t fussy: She always used whatever was on hand from the family’s butcher shop.

Rule Two 
Chopped carrots add sweetness to long-simmered sauces but turn to flavorless mush before the meat is tender. Simmer a whole carrot in the braise instead—it’s easy to remove before serving.

Rule Three 
Make the pro move and simmer the al dente spaghetti or linguine in the skillet with the sauce for a minute or two before serving, so the pasta strands soak up the meaty flavors.

Recipe: Sunday Sauce

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