Bolognese Sauce:

By exdircomp

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds pork shanks (on the bone)
• 3 pounds beef shanks (on the bone)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound pancetta, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced Spanish onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups homemade beef or chicken stock
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup tomato sauce, recipe follows
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Chopped fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat.


Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper, place in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.


Remove the shanks to a plate. Remove fat from the pan. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until golden brown. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.


Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.


Add the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan and cook until completely reduced. Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and parsley and bring to a simmer. Add the shanks and 1/3 of the pancetta back to the pan, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.


Remove the shanks to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl.


Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Place 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a large high-sided saute pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Add the shredded meat and the remaining cooked pancetta to the pan along with 1 cup of the tomato sauce, parsley and basil and stir to combine and just heat through.