Bolognese is our family staple for birthday celebrations and farm gatherings. This recipe is my Aunt Margaret’s specialty, which was passed on through my mom to me. It’s the perfect make-ahead dish that only gets better with time in the fridge. I enjoy making large batches using our Party Pack and freezing leftovers to enjoy later when I am busy in the garden during the summer months.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, diced
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Foxhollow Farm’s Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 cups carrots, chopped (about 3 medium carrots)
1 cup celery, chopped (about 3 celery ribs)
2 pounds Foxhollow Farm’s 100% Grassfed Ground Beef
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine
2 14.5oz. cans diced tomatoes, no salt. *If using fresh tomatoes from the garden—4 cups, cut up in their juices
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Take the ground beef out of the fridge to get it closer to room temperature before cooking. Dice the onions. Melt the oil and butter in a heavy bottom pot and add the diced onions.
Stir onions, add 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon Foxhollow’s Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Add chopped carrots and celery, stir to coat vegetables in the onion and buttery goodness, cook for 3 minutes. Push the veggies to the sides of the pot and add the ground beef to the middle.
Crumble the beef with a wooden spoon or fork and cook until brown throughout, about 10 minutes.
Add the milk slowly, let simmer gently, stirring frequently until milk has bubbled away.
Add the nutmeg, the other 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and pour in the wine, letting simmer until evaporated. Add the tomatoes and turn up the heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down to the merest simmer for a long, long time (3 hours, at least).
Stir the meat sauce occasionally. If the sauce dries out, add a little more wine. The occasional bubble breaking through the surface is perfect. Serve on top of pasta, spiraled zucchini or spaghetti squash. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy this family Bolognese recipe.
Salud,
Maggie
Gardener and Grassfed Beef Lover