All credit, of course, goes to Time-Life Books, and I heartily recommend purchasing them, either through Amazon, eBay or similar online sources. The Italian volume is one of the first four books that I purchased, and those books led me to an incredible journey!
Note that for
Lasagne Pasticciate, the cream is left out of the
Ragù Bolognese. If you are going to put the
ragù on pasta, then the cream should be added.
Time Life Books wrote:
Ragù Bolognese North Italian Meat Sauce
From Time-Life’s Foods of the World - The Cooking of Italy, 1968
To make about 3.5 cups:
1/4 pound smoked ham, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup) 1 cup coarsely chopped onions 1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 pound beef round, ground twice 1/4 pound lean pork, ground twice 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups beef stock, fresh or canned 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 pound chicken livers 1 cup heavy cream Pinch of ground nutmeg Salt Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the chopped ham, onions, carrots and celery on a cutting board, and chop into very small pieces. (This mixture is called a battuto, when cooked it is a soffritto.) Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat in a heavy, 10- to 12-inch skillet. When the foam subsides, add the battuto and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. With a rubber spatula, put the soffritto in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet, and lightly brown the ground beef and the pork over moderate heat, stirring the meat constantly to break up any lumps. Pour in the wine, increase the heat, and boil briskly, still stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid has cooked away. Add the meat to the soffritto in the saucepan, and stir in the stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, over high heat melt 2 more tablespoons of butter in the original skillet, and when the foam subsides, add the chicken livers. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, or until they are firm and lightly browned. Chop the chicken livers into small dice, set 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. Taste the ragù and season it with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve on pasta or - without the cream - use it in lasagne pasticciate. |