sauce - ragu, bolognese, traditional, meat sauce, italian
t=teaspoon T=tablespoon + -=more or less
These recipes are for your personal use only and may not be added in any form to archives or other works.
Ragł alla Bolognesa - Traditional Bolognesa Meat Sauce
Rich and serious, this
hardy sauce from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy
is either ladled on top or combined first with any kind of pasta. Wonderful for lasagna or over rice (Arborio, of course).
serves 12 (freezes well)
3 med. carrots
2 lg. stalks celery
3 med. onion
4-5 garlic cloves
100 g. panacetta
4 T. butter
1-1/2 k. ground beef and pork
4 chicken livers
100 ml. strong beef
broth (may use a cube)
250 ml. red wine
2 (+ -) 340 g. canned plum tomatoes
salt & pepper
1 t. fresh ground nutmeg
1 T. tomato paste
300 ml. hot milk
It is a good idea to use a processor to make this sauce as the goal is to make as smooth a sauce
as possible. If you do not have one, just make sure the vegetables are rather minced.
Coarsely chop the vegetables and pulse in the processor 10-12 times to chop them as finely as
possible.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium-low and sauté
for approximately 12 minutes just until they begin to brown. Bring up the heat to medium and add
the chicken livers. Brown a few minutes until they are no longer pink, then begin to break them
up with a fork. Stir now and again.
Add the meats and brown well. Keep stirring to break up the meat as small as possible. You may,
as some chefs do, regrind all at this point to insure smoothness.
Over high heat, add the wine and allow to boil for a few minutes to evaporate. In a small bowl
mash the tomatoes with a fork then add to the sauce. Stir well, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Uncover, pour over the hot milk and little by little stir in until well absorbed. Simmer another
hour and 15 minutes. Add the nutmeg after one hour.
This sauce is best when allowed to rest overnight to "ripen". Cool first then refrigerate. Skim off any fat that has risen and freeze
portions for future use.
Note: If it seems very thick, add a little more hot milk to insure a reasonably
thick sauce.
Variations:
· Some Piemontese cooks add 100 to 200 ml. cream just before the end of the
cooking time (reduce hot milk by half). Heavenly and heavily caloric. (Try it
once, anyway!)
.To a quantity of Tomato Sauce Napolitana, add the equivalent amount of this ragł.
You will have the version commonly known OUTSIDE of Bologna as Bolognese
Sauce. Add more oregano and basil as necessary to adjust taste. Simmer for half
an hour. (The Bolognese sauce known in North America are versions favoured
by the main groups of immigrants from Italy - from Napoli, Rome and Sicily and
reflect their versions using a tomato sauce base which stretches the meat and
uses far less ingredients).
All recipes are excerpts from "Welcome to My Kitchen" - The Epicurean Table and are copyright of the author. Recipes are not to be
added to any form of archive or other works of any kind. Contact the author for further information.
The Epicurean Table © 2003 Patricia Conant