Bolognese-Style Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 3 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup(s) finely chopped sweet onion
• 2/3 cup(s) finely chopped celery veins removed
• 2/3 cup(s) finely chopped carrot
• 3/4 pound(s) combo ground pork, beef, veal any proportion
• salt
• pepper
• 1 cup(s) milk
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
• 1 cup(s) white wine
• 1 can(s) petite diced tomato undrained
• cooked tagliatelle coated with 1tbs butter
• parmesan cheese freshly grated

Preparation

1. Success lies in low and slow. Nothing should brown, nothing should boil. Success also lies in no substitutions; unlike most US pasta sauces there's no garlic and no liquid remains at the end of cooking. Not a low-fat recipe, but the portions are small.


2. 1. Warm butter & oil in pot and add onion. Cook over low heat til translucent.


3. 2. Add celery & carrot and stir to combine. Cook 2 minutes more.


4. 3. Add meat and generously season with salt & pepper. Break up and stir to combine thoroughly. Cook only until the meat has lost its' raw color.


5. 4. Add milk & nutmeg and stir to combine. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated. This can take awhile.


6. 5. Add wine and stir to combine. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until wine has evaporated. This can take awhile.


7. 6. Add tomatoes & their juice and stir to combine. When the pan returns to a bubble, reduce heat so that the sauce cooks at laziest simmer with only occasional bubbles.


8. 7. Cook uncovered for 3 hours or more, stirring occasionally. If the sauce begins to dry out, add 1/2c water to keep it from sticking. At the end, no liquid should remain but the sauce should be moist. At the end, the fat must have separated from the sauce. Season with salt & pepper to taste.


9. 8. The sauce is so rich & deeply flavorful that you will plate much less per person than you imagine will be needed. Serve over hot tagliatelle coated with 1tbs unsalted butter. Top with grated parmesan.