Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 pounds organic, grass-fed beef
- 1- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup dry red wine, I like using Chianti
- 1-28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
- *the rind of parmesan cheese*, this is optional but adds really great flavor
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil together
- Stir in the onion, fennel, and carrot; season with salt and pepper
- Let the vegetable cook for a few minutes being careful to not let them brown (about 5-10 minutes)
- Add in the meat and cook, breaking the meat up while it cooks so that it is in small pieces
- Once the meat has cooked through, add in the minced garlic and oregano; stir well
- Add in the tomato paste and mix it in well; add the tomato paste to cook for a few minutes until it starts to caramelize
- *Cooking the tomato paste like this removed the “raw” tomato taste and adds really great depth of flavor*
- Stir in the milk and lower the temperature to a simmer
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened
- Stir in the wine, tomato and another sprinkle of salt
- Bring back up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, add in the cheese rind and let the sauce cook for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally
- When you are ready to serve, stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, parsley and basil.
Notes
This makes a lot, so if you want to freeze it, allow it to cool completely and pour serving size amounts into freezer friendly bags and place in the fridge. Once it is very cold, place it in the freezer.