Categories  

                

Italian


2 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, preferably San Marzano
2 tablespoon tomato paste, preferably double concentrated
2 cups beef broth
2 celery rib, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 large carrot, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 cloves sliced garlic
1 lb hot sausage loose or removed from casing
4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef (not lean) (optional)
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 cup dry red wine
3-4 bay leaf
1 1/2 cup whole milk/cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
porcini, rehydrate and save liquid and fine diced

Puree tomatoes and their juice in blender until smooth; add some red pepper flakes to taste and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring beef broth to simmer; whisk in tomato paste. Remove from heat; set aside.

Make a battuto (the foundation for many Italian soups, stews and sauces) by finely chopping together (by hand) celery, onion and carrot and sliced garlic.

In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat until melted and foaming; add battuto, sausage and pancetta. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sausage is broken into small bits, then continue cooking, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened (do not brown), about 25 minutes.

Add beef, pork and veal; increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring until meat is broken into small bits, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 10 minutes more (do not brown).

Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until wine and juices in pot are mostly evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved pureed tomato, reserved beef base mixture, porcini liquid and bay leaf and the fine diced porcini.

Cook ragu at the barest simmer, stirring occasionally (making sure to stir into edges of pot), until meat is very tender and sauce is thick (as sauce thickens, add porcini water, bit by bit, if necessary, to keep sauce moist and just barely liquid), about 2 1/2 hours.

Add milk and continue cooking for 30 minutes more. Stir in pinch nutmeg. Season to taste with salt, red pepper and black pepper.

Excellent