Ingredients
4 ½ lb (2 kg) lean ground pork ½ cup (125 ml) white wine 4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 2 tsp crushed fennel seeds salt 12 cloves garlic, chopped 6 tbsp (90 ml) olive oil 6 stalks celery, cut into pieces 4 onions, quartered 4 carrots, cut into pieces 4 coloured bell peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces 3 zucchini, cut into pieces ½ lb (225 g) white mushrooms 1 can (5.5 oz/156 ml) tomato paste 11 lb (5 kg) fresh plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced 14 cups (3.5 litres) tomato juice 1 tbsp dried oregano 3 bay leaves 1 ½ cups (90 g) panko or regular bread crumbs Pepper
Preparation
In a large bowl, with your hands, thoroughly combine the pork, wine, spices, salt and half the garlic. Season with pepper. In a large non-stick skillet, cook one-quarter of the pork at a time in 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil, crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon, until golden brown and well-cooked. Set aside. In a food processor, finely chop, one vegetable at a time, the celery, onions, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms. In a very large pot over medium heat, soften the vegetables in ¼ cup (60 ml) of the oil for about 30 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the remaining garlic in the remaining oil (1 tbsp/15 ml) for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to the pot with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, oregano, bay leaves and cooked meat. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 hours and 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the bread crumbs and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning (see note).
