Bolognese

https://foodnouveau.com/how-to-make-an-authentic-bolognese-sauce/#recipejump

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
• 4 small or 2 large, carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4.5 oz diced pancetta (about 1 cup)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lb lean ground meat (beef, veal, or a combination)
• 1 cup crisp, dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
• 2 cups whole milk (3.25% m.f.) or partly skimmed milk (2% m.f.)
• 1 can (28 oz/794 g) diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock

To serve

• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Dry pappardelle, tagliatelle, linguine, or spaghetti
• Fresh basil (optional)

Directions

1. In a large stainless steel pot set over medium heat, add the butter and the oil and stir until the butter is melted. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and half of the salt (½ tsp/2 ml) and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft. Add the diced pancetta and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the pancetta is golden and crisp.
2. Add a third of the ground meat, stirring and breaking lumps with a wooden spoon between each addition. Adding the meat gradually allows the excess water and liquid to evaporate, which is key for the meat to caramelize properly. Once the meat is cooked, add a third more of the meat, stirring and breaking lumps as you go. Repeat with the remaining meat.
3. When the meat is cooked and no lumps remain, set a timer to 10 minutes and keep cooking the meat, stirring from time to time. You want the meat to caramelize and even become crispy in spots. Golden bits of meat will stick to the bottom of the pot, which you will deglaze with white wine later. Watch over the pan at all times as you don’t want the meat to burn.
4. Add the white wine into the saucepan. With the wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Push the meat all around to make sure you scrape it all off. By the time you’re finished, the wine will be evaporated (2 to 3 minutes). Be careful not to let the meat stick to the bottom of the pot again—lower the heat if necessary.
5. Add the milk, tomatoes, beef broth, remaining salt (½ tsp/2 ml) and a generous grinding of black pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to the lowest heat setting.
6. Half-cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours, setting yourself a timer to give the sauce a stir every 30 minutes. The sauce is ready when it looks rich and creamy, and the texture is thick like oatmeal. No liquid should separate from the sauce when you push the sauce to one side. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.