Emilys Veal Ragu With Soft Polenta Food

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine the stock and cream, and bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the polenta and semolina and cook over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft. Fold in the cheeses. Serve immediately or reserve.
• To encourage polenta to come cleanly out of the pan, cook over medium heat. Run a spatula or wooden spoon around the sides of the pan to clean off the polenta. Do not stir, but wait and watch for a few seconds until a large bubble begins to form and pushes the polenta upward. Pour immediately into a warm dish.
• The polenta can be made ahead and reheated: add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water or stock, cover the dish, and reheat in the microwave or over low heat. Whisk well before serving. Grate a dusting of Parmesan over the top just before serving.

SHORT RIB RAGU AND POLENTA

Steps:

• For the short rib ragu: Place a large saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter in the oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic and onion with a good pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the outer edges of the pan and add the short ribs and pancetta. Brown the short ribs on one side, about 4 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and turn them a quarter turn. Continue to cook, turning them as they brown, until thoroughly brown on all sides but not burnt (don't worry about crispy bits in the pan), about 15 minutes.
• Pour the white wine into the saucepan. With a wooden spoon, scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Push the meat all around to make sure you scrape it all off. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to let some of the alcohol cook off. Add the milk, diced tomatoes (with liquid), 1 teaspoon salt and a good grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to the lowest heat and let simmer very slowly, half-covered and stirring from time to time, until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours; the sauce should be more oil- than water-based and thick like oatmeal. Transfer the short ribs to a plate to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred; discard any excess fat and cartilage. Return the meat to the pan. Season to taste and set aside.
• For the polenta: Combine the milk, chicken broth and 1 cup water in a pot. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add the polenta gradually, whisking constantly. When the mixture starts to boil rapidly, reduce the heat to medium low, at a steady but not too vigorous bubble, and switch to a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring often, until thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Pecorino Romano and butter. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
• To serve, put the polenta and ragu in two separate presentation-ready pots. At the table, pour the hot polenta onto a large serving platter or board. Next, pour the hot ragu over the center of the polenta. Finish with a dramatic drizzle of olive oil and a cloud of grated pecorino.

VEAL RAGU WITH CAMPANELLE

Steps:

• Heat a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and veal and brown for 2 or 3 minutes. Add carrot, onion, garlic and bay, season with salt and pepper, then cook mixture 4 or 5 minutes more, stirring frequently, to soften veggies and combine flavors. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup white wine, scraping up all the good bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook the alcohol out of the wine, 1 or 2 minutes. Add broth to the skillet and reduce heat to medium low. Stir in tomatoes and bring sauce to a bubble. Simmer sauce until ready to serve. Add torn basil and wilt the leaves into the hot sauce. Remove bay leaf from the sauce. Toss hot cooked pasta with 1/2 cup, a couple of handfuls, grated cheese. Combine hot pasta and cheese with the veal ragu in a large serving bowl or platter. Serve with extra cheese for topping. Garnish platter with additional basil tops.

EMILY'S VEAL RAGU WITH SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Lightly dust the veal in flour, shaking off any excess.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 teaspoon butter in a large deep frying pan over medium high heat and add half the veal and cook for 30 secons each side or until sealed, remove from the pan and set aside and repeat with the remaining oil, butter and veal and set aside.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring for 2 minutes over medium heat or until softened and then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mushrooms are slightly softened.
• Add carrot, cinnamon, star anise, stock and tomato paste, and stir until combined.
• Return veal to the pan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced and veal is tender and stir in the parsley.
• Meanwhile, to make the polenta. place the milk, stock and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium and then add the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously, until smooth.
• Continue to whisk for 2 minutes or until thickened and stir in the cheese and butter, then season to taste.
• Divide the polenta among bowls, then top with the ragu and serve.

15-MINUTE CHEESY POLENTA WITH CHUNKY TOMATO RAGU

Steps:

• Place a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the milk, 3 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, cover and set it over medium-high heat.
• When the large skillet is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until lightly browned in parts, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the onion into large chunks.
• Add the onion, carrots and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the vegetables and a large pinch of salt to the pan with the sausage and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
• By this time, the milk and water mixture should be at a strong simmer. Whisk in the polenta and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is thickened and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter and cheese and season with additional salt if needed. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• When the vegetables are slightly softened, stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely tender and the juice from the tomatoes has reduced slightly, 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and red pepper flakes if desired.
• Divide the polenta (if the polenta is too thick, whisk in 1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water to thin it out) among 4 bowls and top with the chunky tomato ragu. Toss the greens in a large bowl with the remaining olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some salt and pepper and serve on the side.

CHEESY POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat and cook the onion and garlic for a few mins. Stir in the sausages, breaking them up into small pieces as you go, and cook for another 8-9 mins. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock, purée and most of the rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 8-10 mins or until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste.
• Meanwhile, make up the polenta following pack instructions. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, with some seasoning. Spoon the polenta onto 4 plates, then top with the ragout and a sprinkling of the remaining rosemary.

VEAL RAGU WITH POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Make the gnocchi: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 2 cups salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Place potatoes on top of salt, and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then peel. Press potatoes through a ricer onto a clean baking sheet, and spread loosely. Let cool.
• Turn potatoes onto a surface, shape into a mound, and form a well in the center. Pour egg into well, add remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and mix with a fork. Add flour gradually, kneading by hand until just combined.
• On a lightly floured work surface, divide dough into 10 pieces. Roll each into a 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut ropes into 1/2-inch pieces. Press each piece to make a depression in the center, or press gently against tines of a fork. Arrange on a lightly floured baking sheet in a single layer. Cover with plastic, and freeze for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 months).
• Make the ragu: Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season veal generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery, and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in wine, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add browned veal, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until veal is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Using a slotted spoon, transfer veal to a dish, reserving liquid. Skim fat from liquid. Discard bay leaf and thyme. Remove meat from bones, shredding into bite-size pieces. Return to pot. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook a few gnocchi at a time, stirring gently. Cook just until they float, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to a colander to drain. Divide gnocchi among bowls, toss with ragu, and sprinkle with Parmesan.