Ingredients
- • 1 tablespoon olive oil
- • 1 tablespoon butter
- • 4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
- • 1 large onion, finely chopped
- • 2 carrots, finely chopped
- • 2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
- • 1 pound ground beef chuck
- • 1 pound ground pork
- • 1 cup whole milk
- • 1 cup dry red or white wine
- • 1 (28-ounce) can imported Italian tomatoes
- • Kosher salt
- • Freshly ground black pepper
- • About ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped plus additional
- • About ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the oil, butter, onion and pancetta in a heavy bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium low heat. Gently cook the mixture until the onion is transparent and soft, and the pancetta renders most of its fat. Add the chopped carrot and celery, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Cook until softened.
- Add the ground beef and pork to the pot. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through.
- Add in the milk and allow to simmer until the milk has almost evaporated.
- Add in the wine. Allow to simmer until it also has evaporated. Break up the tomatoes, either by hand or using a spoon. Add to the meat. Stir to incorporate.
- Using an immersion blender (carefully!), blend the mixture in the pot to break up large chunks and incorporate all the ingredients. (You can totally skip this step!)
- Season with a big sprinkle of salt and a few turns of black pepper. Stir in the chopped basil and parsley.
- Reduce heat to barely a simmer. Cover with a lid set ajar and simmer the sauce for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add about a ½ cup of water at a time to thin.
- When the sauce is very thick and flavorful, adjust salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with additional parsley. And pass lots of grated Parmesan on the side!
Notes
Special equipment: An immersion blender
- Category: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian cuisine