Who's that in the April Crate & Barrel catalog...?

If you can get your hands on this month’s Crate and Barrel catalog flip to page 58 where I’m making a guest appearance and stirring a Le Creuset and wearing a very cute apron! My very cool aunt was in need of models for their April issue and seeing as how I love cooking and I love Crate and Barrel I guess I was the perfect fit!  

In honor of my spread I thought I’d share my very favorite special occasion recipe (based off of this recipe here) that I made for The Boyfriend a week or so back for his birthday dinner. Beware: this incredible sauce simmers for FOUR hours so make sure you set aside enough time to babysit it. But the end result is the most mouthwatering dish I’ve ever made and rivals any Bolognese sauce I’ve had at any Italian restaurant.

Bon Appetite! And pick up the April issue of C&B!

Very Special Occasion Bolognese Sauce

Makes about 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter

1 large yellow onion, diced
4 small carrots, finely diced
2 large celery stalks, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, very finely diced
¼ lb diced pancetta (1/4 to ½-inch cubes) (bacon is a good substitute if you can’t find in your grocery store)

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ lb lean ground meat (blend of veal, pork and beef)

1 cup dry white wine
2 cups milk
1 28-oz can diced San Marzano tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

Directions:

1.     Place a large saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter in the oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic with a good pinch of salt (about ½ teaspoon) and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the diced pancetta and cook for a further 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened and pancetta is golden.

2.     Increase the heat to high and add the meat a third at a time, stirring and breaking lumps with a spoon between each addition. Adding the meat gradually allows the water to evaporate – which is key if you want to brown your meat and not boil it. After the last addition, when no pink can be spotted in the meat and no lumps remain, set a timer to 15 minutes. You want your meat to caramelize and even become crispy in spots. More water will evaporate and flavors will concentrate. You want golden bits of meat to stick to the bottom of your pan – this flavorful crust will then be deglazed with white wine. Watch over your pan as you don’t want your meat to burn. When you see some serious caramelization action happening, lower heat to medium to each the end of your 15-minute sautéing time (on my stove, that’s after about 8-9 minutes).

3.     Over medium heat, pour the white wine into the sauce pan. With a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of your pan. Push the meat all around to make sure you scrape it all off. By the time you’re finished, the wine will be evaporated (2-3 minutes). Be careful not to let the meat stick again (lower the heat if necessary).

4.     Add milk, diced tomatoes (with liquid), beef stock, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to the lowest heat and let simmer very slowly, half-covered, for 4 hours. Stir once in a while. If your sauce starts sticking before the end of your cooking time, lower the heat (if possible) and/or add a bit of stock or water. In the end, the sauce should be thick, more oil- than water-based and thick like oatmeal. Adjust the seasoning one last time – don’t be afraid of adding more salt (tasting each time you add some), it is this recipe’s key seasoning.

5.     Serve in bowls over cooked pasta and garnished with fresh grated parmesan and basil.