Middle Aged and Living Well

I first saw this recipe on America’s Test Kitchen, the PBS television arm of Cook’s Illustrated.  I have fallen out of favor with their show and magazine as I think they have a New England bias in both flavor profile and they seem to tolerate, more than I like, the use of processed foods in some of their recipes.  Where they do succeed is in challenging old wives tales about the “only way to make” things and find better ways to make item, especially when it relates to a cooking fundamental and I include a pasta meat sauce as a cooking fundamental that everyone should know how to cook.  What they were able to do with this recipe was to achieve the richness and texture of a long, slow cooked bolognese and do it in about 45 minutes.  This sauce is rich but the meat has a melt in your mouth softness that seems like you cooked it for hours. The addition of milk and white bread (a trick used mainly in meatballs) helps to make the meat soft.  The trick is don’t brown the meat, just cook out the color.   At our make your own pasta parties, this is always a winner.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces of white mushrooms, cleaned
• 1 large slice of white bread, preferably homemade, crust removed
• 2 Tbl of whole milk
• 1 lb of ground beef, 85 % ( or grind your own chuck)
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced or put through a garlic press
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbl Tomato paste
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved (1/4 cup)
• 1 Tbl fresh oregano
• 1 28 0z can of crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of parmigiana regiano cheese
• Salt and pepper

Procedure

In a food processor, process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, scraping down side of bowl as needed; transfer to a bowl.  To the empty food processor, add bread, milk, pinch of  teaspoon salt and pepper and process until paste forms. Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined.

Heat the olive oil in large stock pot  or dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add the onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until they are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom, and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant and tomato paste starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup reserved tomato liquid and 1/2 of the fresh oregano and scrape the bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add meat mixture and cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until beef loses its raw color, 2 to 4 minutes, making sure that meat does not brown.

Stir in crushed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

This is a great sauce for penne, rigitoni or other large pasta shapes.  It also works well with stuffed pastas.  Try it with a cheese ravioli or use it your own lasagna recipe.