Always on my Mind

All day long, one thing kept popping into my mind. Bolognese sauce!! How weird is that? Some people pronounce this boh-luh-neez. However, any real Italian knows it is boh-luh-nays. Ann Burell, from foodtv, demonstrated making an awesome version of this sauce. I can imagine the taste of it in my mouth right now. Here comes the mouth watering again. Ann is so full of life and energy. She is best known as one of Iron Chef Mario Batali's sous chefs in the American television spin-off series Iron Chef America. Ann is my new favorite foodtv chef.

What I consumed today was far from gourmet. Lunch was chinese hot and sour soup, chicken egg foo young and brown rice. Dinner consisted of Organic beef roast (from Trader Joes), Garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. It was pretty tasty and I guess more healthy than not. I am not a big fan of beef unless it is ground or cubed such as in beef stew and beef paprika. Once in awhile, I crave beef stew. I always follow my intuition and believe your body knows best. Sometime in the future, I will post my favorite Beef Paprika recipe, courtesy of my friend Martha Harvie.

Back to Bolognese. When I get something stuck in my head, there is no stopping me from eventually eating it. A few weeks back it was rice balls. I craved my favorite rice balls from T and F Pork Store in Franklin Square, NY. I have yet to taste a better made rice ball! This craving was so intense, I had to drive to Port Jefferson to try a rice ball from Napoli Italian Market. It was good, but still couldn't compare to my T &F. Now, I will be eating pasta with bolognese sauce very soon!! This weekend will be the perfect weekend to make it. What else is there to do when there is a snowstorm? Well...................that won't satisfy my Bolognese craving :-) Now for the recipe!

Pasta Bolognese

Cook Time:
4 hr 30 min
Serves:
6 to 8 servings
1 large onion or 2 small, cut into 1-inch dice
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch dice
4 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
Kosher salt
3 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination
2 cups tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine
Water
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste.

In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat.

Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

THANKS ANN!!