The Best Homemade Brown Butter Rainbow Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce

This recipe might be a little boring for some of y'all... it might be exciting for the rest. It's a classic. Something that every gal needs up her sleeve for a multitude of dishes. This is a step-by-step to the best tomato sauce. This girl right here, loves brown butter. I would bathe in brown butter if I could. Hell, I'd make an eau de perfume if I could. It masterfully makes any dish better with its' nuttiness and lusciousness. But back to the sauce, the famous sauce. A great tomato sauce is important because all men love spaghetti + meatballs, lasagna, pizza... you pretty much name it. So, trust me with this one, and make this sauce for all of it. It starts with a shit ton of butter, three sticks, it's worth it, so hush. Along with the shit ton of butter comes a shit ton of heirloom rainbow baby tomatoes. And that's what I love about this recipe because most tomato sauces start with a can of plum tomatoes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some San Marzano Tomatoes, they are great! But, there is something about the freshness of this sauce because of the use of the heirlooms. The flavor is amped up with some fresh garlic, roasted garlic, bell peppers, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and a'whole'lotta fresh basil. Basil basil BASIL!! Each and every ingredient boosts the sauce in a very unique way. The red wine gives it body, the bell peppers give it some bite, the tomato paste gives a concentrated flavor, the roasted garlic gives it an aromatic smoothness, and the seasonings give it that little extra oomph! And y'all, it only takes about 45 minutes to make, but tastes like you've been cookin' it all day. Don't you worry either, you can say you've been slaving away on this masterpiece, I won't tell anyone!! Enjoy :)

Sauteeing the garlic, onion, and bell peppers...

Rainbow baby heirloom tomatoes being added in...

And the baby tomatoes bursting in the brown butter...

And that torn fresh basil....

Oh, it's starting to look real good...

Here's where you add in the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and red wine...

Simmer, simmer, simmer...

And add all that good herbs and seasonings...

Girl, that shit's done.

For the Sauce:

3 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

4lbs of Rainbow Heirloom Baby Tomatoes

4T EVOO

2C Diced Vidalia Onions

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

½C Mixed Bell Peppers, Diced

1 Tube of Tomato Paste

1 Head of Garlic, Roasted

2T Balsamic Vinegar

½C Red Wine

1t Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, & Coriander

1T Red Pepper Flakes   

1 Large Bunch of Fresh Basil, Half Chiffonade + Half Torn

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste (and a little sugar if needed)

Directions:

1. In a pot, melt the three sticks of butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it come to a bubble and start to brown the slightest bit. Add in the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes until they begin to soften and burst, while the butter browns, about 15 minutes.

2. In a medium pan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add in the onion and diced bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes until translucent. Toss in the minced garlic and barely cook, just about 3-5 minutes.

3. Add the sautéed vegetables into the brown butter-tomato mixture, along with the tube of tomato paste, head of roasted garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the torn and chiffonade basil. Season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little bit of sugar (if needed and all to taste).

5. It’s ready to serve!

Pan Fried Italian Sausages with Charred Peppers + Onions on a bed of Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Pan Fried Italian Sausages with Charred Peppers + Onions on a bed of Creamy Parmesan Polenta

This is a dish I have never made before, seeing that it's an Italian staple, and I'm not the biggest fan for Italian food, it makes perfect sense that I wouldn't concoct a recipe for Sausage with Peppers + Onions. But, guess what... we all loved it, even me!! We're huge sausage people over here... any kind, any brand, any flavor... you name it, we want it. I especially love Al Fresco's Chicken Sausage; I decided that the best choice would be their Sweet Italian Style. But really, you could sub in any kind of Italian sausage, even a spicy one if you so please. It really doesn't matter what you end up using, as long as they are cooked up perfectly until they are golden brown, slightly charred, and crisped on the outside. The pan fried sausages are nestled on top of a bed of creamy parmesan polenta and charred peppers + onions. So let's start with the polenta first because who doesn't want extra cheesy polenta to chow down? These are perfectly seasoned in every which way and they are a cinch to make! Although the consist of mainly freshly grated parmesan, I wanted to add some shredded fontina to balance out the flavor and give them that little extra boost of cheese flavor! I'm tellin' y'all, every single one of us was moaning and groaning over this polenta... it was that good. I can't wait to use it in more of my recipes in the future, so keep that in your back pocket. Next, come the charred peppers + onions. I tried to used as many colors as I could get my hands on, so I grabbed 2 red onions, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 green bell pepper. Now if you hate red onions, you can switch out another type of onion instead. If you can't find all four colors of bell peppers, just use what your local grocery store is carrying. No biggie! I have a somewhat strange, unorthodox method to cooking and charring the peppers + onions, so hear me out. I begin by sautéing them in some butter and olive oil, and then braise them in a sweetened red wine + red wine vinegar mixture. While they are cooking and the liquid is reducing, it is important that you keep an out on the veggies because you want them still quite crunchy before the next step. Now, here's where it might get weird for some of y'all. I like to pour the whole put into a strainer (placed over the sink) and allow all of the braising liquid to drip off. I even use some paper towels to dry them as much as I can before it's second stage of cooking. Don't worry though, your peppers will still have plenty of flavor; this step is important because you need dried veggies in order to get all of those wonderful charred edges. Secondly, you gotta have a dry cast iron skillet because that is how you achieve the blackening phase. So, put that sucker on high heat and add the dried peppers + onions in the screamin' hot pan and add in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, a pinch of sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Toss to combine the vegetables with all of the seasonings, and once they have reached an al dente texture and a charred exterior, throw in some fresh mixed herbs for a little fresh bite. Now all that's left of the recipe is to begin assembling. I like to serve this in bowls, starting with a few big ladles of the cream parmesan polenta and some more freshly grated parmesan for good measure. Then you make a mound of your charred peppers + onions, so that your pan fried Italian sausages have a bed to rest on. We decided that we wanted a sweet + spicy dish, so we drizzled some white balsamic reduction over the top and garnished it with a sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes and fresh mixed herbs (think basil, parsley, chives, and oregano) to finish off the dish. This is a great weekday or Sunday supper, and also, a perfect hearty meal for this time of the year!! Enjoy :)

For the Pan Fried Italian Sausages:

8 Italian Sausage Links (We love Al Fresco’s Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage)

2T Unsalted Butter + 1T EVOO

For the Charred Peppers + Onions:

2T Unsalted Butter + 2T EVOO

1-2 Red Onions, Sliced (we like a lot of onion, so we used two)

4 Bell Peppers, Sliced into Strips (we used 1 of each color: red, orange, yellow, + green)

¼C Red Wine + ½C Red Wine Vinegar

1-2T Light Brown Sugar

4 Garlic Cloves, Minced

2t Italian Seasoning

A Heavy Pinch of Sugar ( to help the blackening process)

½-1t of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (depending on how hot you like it)

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

1-2T Mixed Fresh Herbs (we used basil, parsley, chives, andR

4C Unsalted Chicken Stock (homemade or store-bought)

2 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1C Stone-Ground Cornmeal

1T Kosher Salt + 1t Fresh Cracked Pepper

1C Freshly Grated Parmesan

4oz Fontina Cheese, Shredded

¼C Crème Fraiche

4T Unsalted Butter

¼-½C Heavy Cream or Milk (to thin it out to your desired thickness) 

1-2T Mixed Fresh Herbs (we used basil, parsley, chives, + oregano)   

For the Sausage + Peppers with Parmesan Polenta:

Prepared Parmesan Polenta

Freshly Grated Parmesan, For Garnishing

Prepared Charred Peppers + Onions

Pan Fried Italian Sausages, Browned + Crisped

Homemade or Store-Bought White Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Mixed Fresh Herbs, For Garnishing (same mixture of herbs used above)

Directions:

1. For the Pan Fried Italian Sausages: Melt the butter and EVOO in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, and then add in half of the sausages. Brown on all sides, about 8-12 minutes total, until they are golden brown yet slightly blackened in color. Remove the crisped sausages from the pan onto a plate and cover them with aluminum foil so that they stay warm while you cook the remaining half of the sausages (by following the same process as before). Make sure to keep them warm until you are ready to serve the dish.

2. For the Charred Peppers + Onions: In a large skillet, over high heat, melt together the butter and EVOO. Add in the red onion and multicolored pepper slices. Toss to coat them in the oil, along with some kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, and sauté for about 5-10 minutes. Pour in the red wine and red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add in the brown sugar and cook for a few more minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Get a large strainer and place it over your sink, pour the red wine braised peppers + onions into the strainer, so that all of the excess liquid is removed. Once all the liquid has dripped off, get a few pieces of paper towels and dry the peppers + onions are completely dried off. This is an important step because it will help you to obtain a perfect char (also make sure to completely wipe out all remaining liquid/moisture/butter/oil from the pan). With the skillet still on high heat, return the dried peppers + onions to the wiped down pan and let them vegetables char, making sure to stir them around for even browning. You want your peppers to be al dente in texture and blackened on the edges for color (so, make sure your pan is completely dry to obtain this component of the recipe). Add in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, a heavy pinch of sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt + pepper to taste. Cook again, while tossing to combine the seasonings with vegetables, for a minute or two, making sure that the minced garlic doesn’t burn. Once the peppers + onions are done, do a quick taste test and add in any necessary seasoning to your preferred taste (for example: kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and/or sugar). After you have done the taste test and love the flavor, stir in the fresh herbs and keep this mixture ready until you are ready to assemble.

3. For the Creamy Parmesan Polenta: In a large pot, pour in the chicken stock and add in the minced garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and add in the kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Simmer, while stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes or until they are thick. Be sure the scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you’re stirring. Move the pan off the heat and mix in the freshly grated Parmesan, shredded fontina cheese, crème fraiche, butter, and fresh herbs. If this mixture becomes to thick (either by overcooking or allowing it to sit too long), stir in some of the heavy cream/milk to loosen it again. Taste for seasonings and serve it immediately.

4. Assembling the Dish: Ladle some of the Creamy Parmesan Polenta into the bottom of a serving bowl and freshly grate some more Parmesan over of the polenta. Using a spoon or tongs, make a mound of the charred peppers + onions on top of the polenta. Place two links of pan fried Italian sausages (per bowl, per person) in the middle of the vegetable bed and drizzle the surface of the dish with a little bit of the white balsamic reduction (this is optional, but we like the sweetness of the reduction against the saltiness of the polenta). Garnish with fresh mixed herbs and enjoy while it’s still hot!!

Braised Short Rib Ragu Pasta

There are some meals here on Haute + Heirloom that we tend to repeat... and repeat... and repeat. Like our favorite Fancy Pot Roast, we make this 3-4 times a month. Well this Braised Short Rib Ragu Pasta is also becoming a weekly tradition. It is something that you can start early on Sunday and by dinner time you just have to stir together everything for a super comforting + filling meal. There is something so magical about braised short ribs, and I can't really put my finger on it, but it is truly special. After browning the short ribs in a big pot, I added in a bunch of aromatics... carrots, garlic, leeks, onions, parsley, and celery. After they saute a bit, it's time to add in the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, and red wine.

Finally, it is all topped with the crucial "flavor"-producing components... herbs, bay leaves, cocoa powder, balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. These all bring such depth to the dish, so don't skip out on any of them. I MEAN IT. Now this pot, it's gonna braise and braise and braise some more. Like 4-5 hours worth of braising is on the horizon, but to me, that's okay because I'm already doing some house cleaning and laundry, so I can keep an eye out on the pot as well. Eventually you get to that glorious part of the recipe where the braised short ribs are amazingly tender and forked off the bone tender. UM YUM. And then, you have to reduce this sauce down until it becomes chocolate brown and much thicker than where it started. I continuously stirred the sauce, so it would evenly reduce and not burn on the bottom. Once that sauce is ready, it's time to add in some more yummy stuff. Begin by browning a stick of butter in a separate pot, once it is just started to brown, add in the minced garlic and saute for just a minute or two. Throw in already cooked pasta, turn off the heat, and coat the pasta in the garlicky brown butter. And this, my friends, is where the magic begins to happen. Put the shredded short rib met on top of the pasta, along with as many scoops of your ragu sauce as you like, caramelized onions, red pepper flakes, shaved bittersweet chocolate, half of the grated Parmesan, some fresh herbs, and heavy cream (to make it extra luscious). Fold in all of the ingredients until you have a cohesive pasta dish. Spoon the finished pasta into serving bowls and garnish with a mound of freshly grated Parmesan + fresh herbs. Y'all are gonna LOVE it!! Enjoy :)

For the Braised Short Ribs:

¼C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4oz Diced Pancetta + A Heavy Pinch of Cinnamon

4lbs Bone-In Short Ribs

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper (to heavily season the short ribs)

½C AP Flour

1 Vidalia Onion, Finely Minced

1 Leek, Finely Minced

3 Carrots, Finely Minced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Minced

3 Stalks of Celery, Finely Minced

½C Fresh Parsley

28oz Whole San Marzano Canned Tomatoes, Pureed until Smooth

3T Tomato Paste

2 ½C Beef Stock

1 ½C Red Wine

2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary + Fresh Thyme

1t Dried Oregano

3 Bay Leaves

3T Cocoa Powder (sifted to remove clumps)

1T Balsamic Vinegar

1T Fish Sauce

1T Worcestershire Sauce

For the Braised Short Rib Pasta:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted & Browned

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1lb Pasta, Cooked Al Dente

Braised Short Ribs, Shredded into Bite Size Pieces (prepared above)

A Few Scoops of the Braised Short Rib Ragu Sauce (from the pot used above… to taste)

1C Caramelized Onions

½-1C Heavy Cream (depending on how creamy you like it)

1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or as spicy as you like)

4-6t Shaved Bittersweet Chocolate

1C Freshly Grated Parmesan (divided)

Fresh Herbs, For Garnishing (we used parsley, basil, and chives)

Directions:

1. Preparing the Short Ribs: Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add in the Pancetta, with a pinch of cinnamon, and cook until the Pancetta is golden and crisp. This will take about 2-4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour (make sure to dust off any excess flour, so there is only a light coating). Using a slotted spoon, remove the Pancetta from the pan and put them into a small bowl, and reserve it for later. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Once all of the short ribs have evenly browned, take them out of the pot and place them on a plate or baking dish.

2. Making the Braised Short Rib Ragu: Meanwhile, place the onion, leek, carrots, garlic, celery, and parsley into a food processor and pulse until everything is finely diced, but definitely not pureed! Add these minced aromatics to the pot that the short ribs had been browning in and allow them to cook and caramelize some, just about 5-10 minutes over medium heat. After sautéing them, add the crispy pancetta, pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, and red wine. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer, before you submerge all of the browned short ribs into the braising liquid, and then top with fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, dried oregano, and bay leaves. Cover the pot and cook at a simmer for 2 hours. Remove the lid and simmer for another 2 hours, making sure to stir occasionally. After this period of cooking, remove the lid, and continue to cook for another 2 hours (while also making sure to occasionally stir the sauce). After their second cooking period, remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the meat and bones from the pot onto a large cutting board (making sure to throw away any fatty pieces as well). Shred the meat into bite-size pieces and let them rest while we reduce the ragu sauce. Stir in the cocoa powder, balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and bring the sauce up to a boil, and then back down to medium heat. You will need to remain near the pot to stir the sauce to ensure that it does not burn. Cook this sauce until it is much darker in color and reduced in volume. It should be quite thick. Remove the bay leaves, sprigs of rosemary, and sprigs of thyme. Season the sauce with some kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper (and sugar if you want it to be a little bit sweeter).

3. Assembling the Short Rib Pasta: In another pot, melt a stick of butter over medium heat until it begins to brown and release a nutty fragrance. Add the minced garlic and sauté just for a minute or so in the brown butter. Turn off the heat and quickly add the al dente pasta and coat it completely in the garlicky brown butter. Throw all the meat on top of the pasta, followed by some scoops of the reduced ragu sauce (as much as you want), caramelized onions, heavy cream, red pepper flakes, ½C grated Parmesan, shaved bittersweet chocolate, and fresh herbs. Fold the pasta gently to combine and until a luscious sauce has coated your pasta.

4. Serving the Pasta: Spoon the short rib pasta into serving bowls and add a heap of freshly grated Parmesan and some fresh herbs to garnish. Enjoy! 

Bacon Infused + Slowly Caramelized French Onion Soup with Bacon Fat Sourdough Toast, Gruyere Cheese, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, & Bacon Lardons

It's funny how something as simple as soup, can be exactly what you need on a crummy day. We usually make a pot every Sunday because it seems to have a calming effect on all of us. It's so comforting, simple yet complex, and it's something that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes. That is certainly the case when it comes to this recipe, my Bacon Infused + Slowly Caramelized French Onion Soup with Bacon Fat Sourdough Toast, Gruyere Cheese, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, & Bacon Lardons. Who doesn't love caramelized onions? Everyone has to. The process of caramelizing the onions takes a loooooong time... like 3-4 hours long. But that's okay, it's not super high maintenance besides occasionally stirring it, so that the onions caramelize evenly. And like any good Southerner would do... I added a shit ton of bacon essence to it. Yep, I started by crisping up some bacon lardons, and then removing them to a separate bowl before I caramelized the onions in the rendered bacon fat. After the hours + hours of cooking the onions low + slow, you will find a pot of a gold. The pure gold is certainly something that has been handed down to us by the gods.

After the onions were done, I added all the yummy liquids... cognac, balsamic vinegar, red wine, beef stock, and water. Once they've gone through a good simmer and the flavors have begun to meld, make sure to season to taste with some salt, pepper, sugar, and even some more wine if you like. The part of French Onion Soup that everyone loves is the bread + the melty cheese. I took this component over the top by frying some slices of sourdough bread in bacon fat until they got golden brown + toasty. This bacon-fat-infused bread is plopped on the surface of the soup before a mixture of gruyere, aged cheddar, and parmesan is piled on top. Just pop the bowls into the oven and broil the heck out of it until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. All you have left to do is garnish with some crispy bacon lardons and fresh herbs, and you will be one happy girl/boy!! Enjoy :)

For the French Onion Soup:

1T Unsalted Butter

½lb Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons (reserve the rendered fat)

6-8lbs Yellow Onions, Thinly Sliced

¼C Sugar (plus a little extra to sweeten the soup if needed)

Smoked Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1/3C Cognac (sherry may be substituted)

1-2T Aged Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

1C Red Wine

4C Unsalted Beef Stock (preferably homemade, but store-bought is fine)

1C Water

Slices of Sourdough Bread (make sure it is able to fit inside the bowl)

Rendered Bacon Fat, For Frying the Bread

½lb Gruyere Cheese, Grated

½lb Aged Cheddar Cheese, Grated

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (to top the other cheeses)

Crispy Bacon Lardons, For Garnishing (made crispy in the first step)

Fresh Parsley or Chives, Minced (for garnishing)

Directions:

1. Beginning the Soup: Use a large soup pot that will hold all of the onions and liquid. Place the pot over medium heat and melt the 1T of butter. Add the bacon lardons and cook until the bacon has rendered all of its fat and it is crispy. Strain the bacon from the pot into a small bowl and set it aside until the soup is finished. Add all of the thinly sliced onions; sprinkle them with 2t smoked fleur de sel, some fresh cracked pepper, and the sugar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the onions have heated through and started to steam, about 30-45 minutes. 

2. Caramelizing the Onions: Uncover the pot, reduce the heat to low, add in the fresh thyme, and cook, stirring continuously (you should be able to leave the onions alone for an hour once they’ve released their water). I kept cooking my onions for at least 3-4 hours, low + slow until they reach a deep, dark golden brown.

3. Making the Bacon Fat Fried Sourdough Slices: In a sauté pan, over medium heat, melt some bacon fat and fry the slices of sourdough bread until they are golden brown and toasty. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the slices of fried bread onto a baking sheet and keep them warm until you are ready to top the soup with them.

4. Finishing the Soup: When the onions have completely cooked down and all their liquid had cooked out, add in the cognac, balsamic, red wine, beef stock, and water. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to low. Taste and season with smoked fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, and some sugar if needed. If the soup is too sweet, you can add an extra tablespoon of balsamic. If you want the soup to have more depth, add a little more red wine (shhh, no one has to know).

5. Serving the Soup: Preheat the broiler of your oven. Portion the soup into the bowls, top with a bacon fat fried slice of sourdough bread, cover with a handful of gruyere cheese and a handful of aged cheddar cheese, and finish with a mound of freshly grated parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. Garnish the top with crispy bacon lardons and minced herbs. Serve immediately.