THE ULTIMATE BOLOGNESE SAUCE

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The Ultimate Bolognese Sauce image

Bolognese is a hearty sauce that needs a toothy, wide noodle like fresh pappardelle, or a sturdy dried shape like rigatoni.-Mike Easton

Provided by Chef Mike Easton

Categories     Sauce     Pork     Tomato     Sauté     Ground Beef     Bon Appétit     Seattle     Washington     Sauce Secrets

Yield Makes 6 cups sauce

Number Of Ingredients 26

Spice mix:
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces chicken livers, rinsed, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 small bunch thyme
1/4 cup Mama Lil's Kick Butt
Peppers in Oil or Peppadew peppers
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 14 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/3 cup red wine
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (20% fat)
1 pound ground pork shoulder (Boston butt)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pasta and assembly:
12 ounces pappardelle
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
3 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (about 3/4 cup)

Steps:

  • Spice It Up:
  • Toast spices in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes (this releases their flavor). Let cool, then finely grind in a spice mill (or use a mortar and pestle).
  • The Flavor Base:
  • Preheat oven to 250°. Heat oil in a medium ovenproof pot over medium-high. Add livers and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until livers are deeply browned.almost burned, really-5-8 minutes. Add onion, thyme, and Mama Lil's peppers; stir to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until onion is brown and soft, 5-8 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in spice mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
  • Meat of the Matter:
  • Add tomatoes, then wine, stirring and scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add meat and stir to combine (the mixture will be fairly stiff but will loosen as it cooks). Add milk and mix well-everything should be evenly coated.
  • Low and Slow:
  • Cover pot with a lid and transfer to oven; bake for 6 hours.
  • Custom Blend:
  • Remove pot from oven. The sauce will have firmed up; stir to loosen. Pluck out thyme and, using an immersion blender, puree sauce until smooth. Add vinegar and season with salt and pepper. To serve the sauce like Chef Easton does, see opposite page.

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