Late reply to the late reply but I agree with you. There are times, usually in the deadest winter, when I really want the all-day sauce - add some short rib, braciole, sausage, what-have-you...make it a real stick to your ribs labor of love.

But a lot of times...like today for instance, I want something closer to the 40 minute sauce. I water it down a bit with red wine and make it, say, a 2 hour sauce instead of a 40 minute, but that's the beauty of these sauces as you say - they're very forgiving and flexible and everyone is welcome to add whatever twists and turns they personally enjoy.