Athenian Saltsa Kima (Σάλτσα Κιμά)

Athenian saltsa kima is the minced meat sauce of the urban Sunday table, the one that goes over makaronia, between pastitsio layers, and under moussaka. What makes it Greek is not simply tomato and meat. It is the quiet sweetness of cinnamon and allspice, the bay leaf, and the patience to cook it down until the oil rises red at the edges.

The method that decides it is evaporation. You don't want a loose tomato sauce with meat floating in it. You brown the mince properly, add wine, tomato, and spices, then simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and the fat separates. That is when the flavor settles into the meat instead of washing around it.

Make it once and you'll understand why Greek homes keep a container of it in the fridge. It is supper in ten minutes with pasta, and the beginning of two great baked dishes. My mother Sofia kept it plain and exact, because a good saltsa kima should be ready for the table today and the tapsi tomorrow. A recipe written down is a recipe saved.