North Italian Meat Sauce Ragu Bolognese 33 Food

NORTH ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE (RAGU BOLOGNESE)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a heavy large saucepan.
• In same skillet, heat olive oil. Cook ground beef and pork over medium heat, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned. Pour in the wine, increase the heat and boil briskly, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer ground meat mixture to the saucepan with the pancetta and vegetables. Set skillet aside.
• Stir the beef stock and tomato paste into the saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in the original skillet. Add chicken livers and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove livers from skillet and dice. Set aside and add to sauce 10 minutes before it is done. A few minutes before serving, stir in the cream and let it heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

NEAPOLITAN MEAT SAUCE - RAGU NAPOLETANO ALLA ANNA GALASSO

Steps:

• Dry the round steak with paper towels, and rub it on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle the meat with the parsley and cheese.
• Roll the meat up like a jellyroll, and tie it in several places with kitchen string.
• Salt and pepper the spare ribs. Set the meats aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy duty pot. Over medium heat, brown the round steak and spare ribs in the oil on all sides. This will take about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the onion, celery and carrot and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and basil. Cook 1 minute.
• Combine the tomatoes and wine in a bowl. Slowly pour the mixture over the meat.
• Stir in the tablespoon of salt, a grinding of pepper, and the sugar.
• Cover the pot, bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, and cook the sauce until the meat is fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the meat to a dish. Cover the dish, and refrigerate the meat to make it easier to cut when cold.
• When ready to use, transfer the round steak to a cutting board, and cut the strings from the round steak with a kitchen scissors.
• Cut into neat slices about 1/4-1/2" thick.
• Add to the sauce. Cut the meat off the bones of the spareribs and add the pieces to the sauce.
• Use the sauce for pasta dishes both boiled and baked.

CLASSIC BOLOGNESE MEAT SAUCE (BOLOGNAISE)

Steps:

• Put the oil, 3 tbsp butter and chopped onion in the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring the onion until it becomes translucent.
• Add the celery and carrot and stir for two minutes while cooking to coat them well.
• Add the ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
• Cook the beef while crumbling it with a fork until the beef has lost its red colour.
• Add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently until the milk has completely bubbled away.
• Add the nutmeg.
• Add the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated.
• Add the tomatoes and stir well. When the tomatoes start to bubble turn the heat down so that it is just simmering with the occasional bubble breaking the surface.
• Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring from time to time. While it is cooking you will find the sauce dries out so continue to add a 1/2 cup of water when necessary to stop it sticking. However there should not be water left at the end of the 3 hours. The fat will separate from the sauce and this should happen.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and toss with the pasta and rest of butter. Serve with parmesan on the side.

BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE (RAGU)

Steps:

• Saute the onions, carrots, celery and bacon over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionaly until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the ground meat and cook. Stir until all lumps are broken up and all traces of red are gone.
• Add the wine and/or tomato juice from the whole tomatoes, raising the heat slightly. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Crush the tomatoes and add to the pot, stir and add the stock.
• Turn heat to low and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionaly to break up any remaining clumps.
• After an hour or so add salt and pepper.
• Cook for at least another hour, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is very thick. This sauce may be frozen at this point -reheat before completing.
• Add the cream (1/2 & 1/2 or milk if ok, too) and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve with any dried or fresh pasta (I think fettucine is the best)topping with the fresh parmesan. Makes a great lasagne as well.