Ragù alla Bolognese

By Heritage330

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 medium rib celery, finely diced
• 1 lb. ground pork (preferably from the shoulder)
• 1/4 lb. thickly sliced prosciutto di Parma, very finely diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes with their juices, passed through a food mill to remove their seeds
• 1 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth or beef broth
• 1/2 cup hot milk

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the butter and oil in a small Dutch oven or a wide, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re lightly golden and soft, 5 to 7 min. Raise the heat to high, add the pork and prosciutto, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the pork with a large spoon until the meat loses its raw color, 3 to 5 min. (the meat won’t brown). Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it’s almost completely reduced, 3 to 5 min.

Add the tomatoes and the broth. As soon as the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce at a bare simmer for 2 hours. Add the hot milk and simmer half an hour longer, stirring occasionally. At this point, the sauce should have a thick but saucy consistency and a light reddish-brown color. If the sauce has thickened before the cooking time is up, cover the pot. If the sauce is still too thin at the end of cooking, continue to simmer gently, uncovered, until it’s thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving tossed with your favorite pasta.

Adding 1/2 cup whole milk to the reduced sauce smooths out and enriches its flavor.

At the end of cooking, the ragù should have a thick but saucy consistency and a light reddish-brown color, tinted by the addition of the milk.

For wine choices when serving Ragù alla Bolognese, try pouring something Italian that’s light and fruity, such as a Valpolicella, a Dolcetto, or a Sangiovese di Romagna.