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Ragu alla Bolognese

June 15, 2019 by Carine Clary 2 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEveryone needs a good basic ragu meat sauce and this Ragu all Bolognese is a variation on a neighbor’s I had when I was growing up. She was “Miss Nonna”  to us and her husband was an Angostura bitters importer which I thought was the ultimate exotic profession (and notable by its absence at my high school career day, but no matter.) She made good everything and the only change to this basic ragu is the optional substitution of port wine for red wine and the addition of fennel.

The Prep

Assemble your ingredients as below and let ‘er rip (but very slowly and at a low temperature).

First, you’ll heat the fat, add the veg and cook for about 5 on medium heat. Then break up the meat and brown it. Add the wine (or wine vinegar), and let cook till the wine is mostly evaporated. Finally, add the tomato sauce, milk, and spices and cook for at least a couple of hours over very low heat.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA…and yes, that’s an anchovy over there at five o’clock. Just drop it in the pot and it will puree all on its own after a few hours. You won’t necessarily taste it but the dish will taste better.

To Serve

This can be served over any type of pasta as well as used as a base for lasagna.

Side Dish

Try the ever-popular Louisiana ‘Sensation Salad.’ Its simplicity perfectly compliments the richness of the dish.

Sensation Salad

Ragu alla Bolognese
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup lard (or the same amount of olive oil and three strips bacon)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 rib celery, chopped fine
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • ½ tsp. fennel pollen (or fennel seeds, or powdered fennel)
  • 1 lb. ground chuck (or ½ lb. chuck & ½ lb ground pork or loose pork sausage)
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or cayenne)
  • 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup whole milk or cream
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • Parmesan
Instructions
  1. Heat lard in heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes. If you’re using olive oil and bacon, mince the bacon and fry it in the oil till all the fat is rendered out. You can leave the bacon in.
  2. Raise heat to medium-high, add beef stirring till it is broken up, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add spices & bay leaf.
  4. Add wine and stir till mostly evaporated.
  5. Add tomato sauce and water and cook over very low heat for at least a couple of hours to three or four.
Notes
Very low heat means low as you can go. Don’t want to end up with sludge. And check for taste and consistency after an hour. Excellent base for lasagna. And don’t be afraid of the fennel. It won’t make the sauce taste like licorice – in this small amount it just enhances the flavor.
If you have it and are feeling adventurous, substitute in whole or part, ruby port for the wine. It’ll make the sauce a bit sweeter and richer.
If you're running a little short of ground meat don't worry. I've made this with about ⅔rds of a pound and it is plenty meaty.

Can add an optional anchovy. I usually do.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Italian, Meat, Pastas & Pasta Sauces Tagged With: Bolognese Sauce, italian meat sauce, ragu meat sauce, ragu sauce

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Comments

  1. Sue Lynn says

    September 16, 2014 at 7:25 pm

    Made this with the olive oil & bacon and it was delicious.

    Reply
    • Carine says

      September 16, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      So glad you liked it. If you can get lard from hormone free pork that’d be great too.

      Reply

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Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

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