Bolognese

I found a new recipe for Bolognese. I liked the pancetta in the recipe but I didn't have pancetta, so I tried bacon. I ground it in the food processor before adding to the pot.

Other changes I would make next time:
I thought 2 cups of Cabernet was too much. Next time, I'll try 1 cup or maybe a lighter red wine.
It didn't have enough tomato flavor so next time I'll add 8-oz can of tomato sauce.
I'll use beef broth instead of chicken broth--maybe it'll add more depth of flavor.

It's definitely important to simmer for 2 hours. I tasted it along the way and it took a full 2 hours before the flavors melded.

Bolognese

(Adapted from Geoffrey Zakarian)

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz pancetta, minced
½ cup dried porcini, soaked, drained and chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbs tomato paste
2 cups red wine (I used Cabernet)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 large can San Marzano crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
2 cheese rinds from Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (roughly 1/2 cup total in large chunks)
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tsp minced fresh basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 pounds dry perciatelli pasta
½ cup ground Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large cast-iron or Dutch oven casserole over medium heat, heat some olive oil and then add the pancetta, porcini, garlic, onions and carrots. They should cook slow and lightly brown, about 20 minutes.

In another large casserole over medium heat, brown the meat slowly in olive oil until it is a nice even brown color. This process should take around 30 minutes and the mixture should be stirred frequently so it will not stick. Salt and pepper liberally. Then add the tomato paste and saute for 5 minutes.

When finished, deglaze the pot with the vegetables by adding 1 cup of the red wine. Next, add the vegetables and pancetta to the pot with the meat. Then add the remaining red wine to deglaze the pot. Scrape all the bits and pieces that might accumulate and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Then add the chicken stock, milk, crushed tomatoes and cheese rinds and simmer very gently for 2 hours.

Remove the cheese rinds and discard. Let the sauce sit and cool down before using; it's even better the next day! Finish the sauce with the basil and thyme.

Boil 2 gallons of salted water and add the perciatelli pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain all but a 1/2 cup of water off of the pasta and put the pasta directly into the pot of bolognese sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to incorporate the sauce into the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary. Finish with the ground Pecorino Romano, torn basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil on top.



2014 04 12