Epic Bolognese

Epic Bolognese 00:00 Intro 01:57 Chop the Aromatics 02:30 Why Grind the Meat Yourself? 03:33 How Not to Ruin Your Meat Grinder 04:18 Freeze the Grinder and the Meat 04:50 Meat Cuts 06:16 Grind the Meat 06:35 Clean the Meat Grinder 07:10 Brown the Pot 09:09 Cook the Aromatics 10:14 Do We Need Milk? 10:40 Tomato Products 11:38 Do We Need Demi-glace? 13:21 Add the Spices 13:42 Add the Wine and Umami Boosters 14:36 The Tricky Business of Salt 15:35 Cook in the Oven 16:40 Pronunciation Conundrum Relevant Links: Leeward in Portland, ME https://leewardmaine.com/ Samin Nosrat’s Good Things https://amzn.to/4p7tJG4 Kenji Lopez-Alt’s Bolognese https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-slow-cooked-bolognese-sauce-recipe W2 Kitchen Bolognese @w2kitchen https://youtu.be/Ec5YeTcadKw?si=C3jlkuqJ_bsoYIos Brown Chicken Stock and Demi-Glace: Rotisserie Chicken Version: https://youtu.be/TF6Rrd9NmhI From Scratch Version: https://youtu.be/4OjBy0Z6U38 From Leftover Carcases Version: https://youtu.be/02-0sQ2j_DI Instant Pot Version: https://youtu.be/euNqxnG3yrY Bolognese Recipe ============== 200g finely diced carrot (about 1 large) 100g finely diced celery (about 2 ribs) 250g finely diced yellow onions (about 2 medium) 35g minced garlic (about 6 cloves) 4.5 Lb (2 kg) mix of boneless pork shoulder (Boston Butt) and boneless short ribs (or chuck) Vegetable oil as needed 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 6 oz (170g) tomato paste (small can) 28 oz (794g) canned tomatoes and their juice, pureed or chopped (large can) 3/4 cup demi-glace or 3 cups of stock (see the recipe links above) 4 cups dry white wine if using demi-glace (reduce to 2 cups if using unreduced stock) 2 Tbsp soy sauce (optional) 2 Tbsp fish sauce (optional) 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 2 bay leaves Salt and black pepper to taste Assemble the grinder with the largest hole disk and freeze for at least 1 hour. Freeze the meat for 60-90 min, but not longer. Cut the meat into strips that fit the grinder feeding tube. Grind the meat. Set a large, heavy bottomed pot or a deep skillet (or two) over high heat. Add the vegetable oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is hot, swirl the pot and add just enough meat to cover the bottom without crowding. Cook until you get a hint of color. Stir, cook for a few more seconds and remove the meat to a large bowl. Wait for all the juices to evaporate and for the bottom of the pot to turn golden brown (not burnt!). Add more meat and continue to cook in batches. When the last batch of meat is out, turn down the heat to medium-low and wait for the bottom of the pot to brown. Add the carrots, celery, and onions. Salt, stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and golden, 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). To the pot with veggies, add the garlic and salt, and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes or just until aromatic. Combine all the vegetables and the meat in one of the pots and break up the clumps with a potato masher. Stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, demi-glace or stock, the wine, soy sauce, fish sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Taste and correct for salt. The sauce should be slightly undersalted at this point. Place in the middle of the oven, uncovered for 3 hours, stirring once anytime after the first 1.5 hours. Taste and correct for salt. The sauce should be a tad too salty to eat by itself. To serve: Warm up the sauce and adjust seasoning and thickness with pasta water. Add a heavy grating of parmesan and a good chunk of butter and toss with pasta (I like rigatoni). To store: cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months. Join my Patreon Community for free to get video notifications: https://www.patreon.com/helenrennie My cooking classes in the Boston area: http://www.helenrennie.com INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/helen.rennie