Tyler’s Bolognese

Have you ever printed out a recipe to try because it looked so good when you saw it made on tv?  And have you ever let so much time lapse between when you saw it on tv and when you made it that you don’t remember what it was supposed to look like?  I do.  That’s the problem with printing recipes out and putting them in folders and then forgetting about them.  I forget everything about them.  I forget what the chef said about texture and thickness, how he described the final dish, and I’m kind of flying blind. I’ll be honest with you, I get mixed results when I’m flying blind.  Sometimes I stick the landing.  Other times I fall flat on my face.  And sometimes, in my best interpretation of Kerri Strug’s 1996 Olympic vault, I get both feet under me just long enough to complete the exercise and then hobble off the competition floor with the assistance of a burly Romanian coach.

So with my apologies to Tyler Florence, this probably isn’t exactly what you’d get if he made you his Bolognese Sauce.  Because I know he totally sticks that landing and I’m only just starting to work on mine.

Bolognese Sauce

Adapted from Tyler Florence

BAH Note:  I’d never actually had Bolognese sauce before I made this recipe so I don’t know how thick or thin the sauce was supposed to be.  I wish I would have cooked it longer so that the liquid had reduced even more because even after 90 minutes of simmering, it was a bit soupy.  Also, I’d start off with 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon first and see how you like it.  You can always add more to get a more pronounced flavor, but you can’t take it out once it’s in there.

• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
• 2 large or 4 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 pounds ground beef, pork, and veal mix
• 1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed (by hand)
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• salt and pepper

Puree the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in a food processor until smooth.  Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add vegetables and cook for five minutes.  Add the ground beef mixture to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the meat is brown.  Once the meat browns, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, milk, broth, and cinnamon to the pot.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes until the sauce reduces and the meat is quite tender.  Stir in the butter and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Serve over your favorite pasta garnished with grated Parmesan.

{printable recipe}