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North Italian Meat Sauce
(Ragu Bolognese)
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| What You Need: |
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¼ pound smoked ham, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
¼ cup coarsely chopped carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped celery
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ pound beef round, ground twice
¼ pound lean pork, ground twice
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ pound chicken livers
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Combine the chopped ham, onions, carrots and celery on a cutting board, and chop them together into very small pieces. (This mixture is called a battuto, which when cooked becomes a soffritto.) Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat in a heavy, 10- to 12-inch skillet.
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2. When the foam subsides, add the battuto and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. With a rubber spatula, transfer the soffrittoto a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan.
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3. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet, and in it lightly brown the ground beef and the pork over moderate heat, stirring the meat constantly to break up any lumps.
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4. Then pour in the wine, increase the heat, and boil briskly, still stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid in the skillet has cooked away. Add the meat to the soffritto in the saucepan, and stir in the stock and tomato paste.
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5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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6. Meanwhile, over high heat melt 2 more tablespoons of butter in the original skillet, and when the foam subsides, add the chicken livers. Cook them for 3 or 4 minutes, or until they are firm and lightly browned.
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7. Chop the chicken livers into small dice, set them aside, and add them to the sauce 10 minutes before it is done. A few minutes before serving, stir in the cream and let it heat through.
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8. Taste the ragu and season it with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve the ragu on pasta or - without the cream - use it in lasagne pasticciate.
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