Everything Braising Sauce

This a great “go to” sauce, it is delicious and comforting.
Ingredients
3 tbsp Assam black tea
6 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tspMinced Garlic
2 tbspToasted Onion
1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1⁄2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1⁄2 cup red or white wine, optional
2 - 2 1⁄2 lbs (1 kg) chicken, pork, or beef
Sea Salt (Grinder), to taste
Black Pepper (Grinder), to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325° F (160° C).
- Boil water. Add tea and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and set tea aside.
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, combine olive oil, Minced Garlic, and Toasted Onion.
- Add the tea, sugar, tomatoes, and wine, if using. Simmer and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add meat and season with Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Coat with braising sauce, then bake, covered, until tender and cooked, 1–1 1⁄2 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes or your favourite grain.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: Calories 300, Fat 17 g (Saturated 4.5 g, Trans 0 g), Cholesterol 75 mg, Sodium 90 mg, Carbohydrate 15 g (Fibre 1 g, Sugars 12 g), Protein 19 g.
Tips
Halfway through cooking, add a variety of root vegetables, like carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga. They will add to the flavour of the sauce, and the side dish step for a complete meal is done!