Classic Bolognese Ragu

Okay, so, this is getting a little out of control...  Do I have more than one pot?  Yes.  But, I can't seem to break out...  It's probably due to the winter weather, I would guess.  Hearty, one-pot meals have been keeping me going.

WARNING!  Though this recipe is very easy, it takes longer than you think!  Start cooking this sauce sometime before noon.  It is absolutely necessary that it simmer for a minimum of three hours.  It is not the same, otherwise.  Also, this is a big batch because I like to freeze the sauce for future use.  Of course, you can cut everything in half to reduce the size.

Some other notes to consider before beginning:

**The fattier the ground beef, the better (of course).
**Add salt immediately when you put the beef in the pot to extract the juices.
**Use whole milk, it's the only way to go.  It protects the beef from the acid in the wine.
**Make sure the white wine is dry.
**This should be a very thick, very meaty sauce.  It is not a marinara.  It should not be full of tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 tbsp butter
• 1 cup of yellow onion (diced very fine)
• 1 1/2 cup celery (diced very fine)
• 1 1/2 cup carrot (diced very fine)
• 2 lbs. ground beef (make sure you get the best quality possible)
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups Italian plum tomatoes, finely diced, with their juice
• nutmeg
• salt and black pepper
• parmigiano reggiano cheese (Parmesan)

*I use the food processor to chop the onion, celery, and carrots, but this is not necessary.  You just want to get the pieces very small.

Let's begin!  Put the oil, 6 tbsp of butter, and the onion in a large pot.  Turn the heat to med. and cook the onions slowly until they are translucent.  Add the celery and carrot and cook for another two or three minutes.

Add the beef and two large pinches of salt and several large grindings of black pepper (or about 1 tsp).  DO NOT TURN UP THE HEAT.  You want to brown the beef very slowly, DO NOT SEAR THE MEAT.  It must cook slowly until it is not longer red.  Stir and chop the meat as it browns to break it into small pieces and combine it with the veggies.

Add the milk and mix well.  Let it simmer until all the liquid has been cooked off.  Stir frequently.  It will probably take at least 15 minutes until the liquid is gone.  Then add a grating of nutmeg (about 1/8 tsp) and stir well.

Add the wine and let it simmer, once again, until all the liquid has been cooked off. Then add the tomatoes and stir it up so it is evenly mixed through.  Turn down the heat as low as possible.  You may need to move it to a smaller burner.  It should simmer, tiny, tiny bubbles (very, very low simmer), for at least 3 hours.  Stir every 15 minutes or so.  If the sauce gets too thick, add 1/2 cup of water and keep cooking.  The fat should separate and float on the top.  This is good.  Do not remove the fat.

Toss the pasta with the remaining 2 tbsp of butter and a little bit of sauce to barely coat it so it won't stick.  Serve and enjoy.  

Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Well, the one pot meals seem to keep coming!  And, clearly, I am addicted to curries.

I cooked this a couple weeks ago, but just got around to posting it today.

This one is an adaptation of a recipe by Ann Le from The Little Saigon Cookbook.  It's really delicious.

Ingredients:

• One stalk of lemongrass cut in 2 inch lengths
• Three tbsp yellow curry powder (Madras, not Indian style)
• 5 large cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 2 large shallots
• 2 tbsp of salt
• 1 tbsp of chili paste (less if you want a mild curry)
• 6 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 2-3 lbs. chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin-less, bone-in
• 2 yellow onions, chopped in 8 pieces each
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 3 large carrots cut in 1 inch pieces
• 2-3 lbs. of baby red potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• cilantro to garnish

Begin by mixing the curry powder, garlic, sugar, shallots, salt, chili paste, black pepper, and one tbsp of the oil till you have a smooth paste.  This works best if you use a blender or food processor.  Again, the "Magic Bullet" comes in handy!  Coat the chicken with the paste and set it aside in the fridge until you need it.  The longer it marinates, the better, of course!  (And don't be afraid to use your hands to get it all over the chicken!)

In a large pot, add the remaining oil and onions and fry over med. heat for a few minutes.  Then add the bay leaf and lemongrass and fry for a few more minutes, stirring things as you go...

Next, turn up the heat a bit, and sear the chicken with the onions and lemongrass.  Make sure the chicken gets a nice brown color all over.  This may take ten to fifteen minutes.  Don't worry if things start sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the water, coconut milk, carrots and potatoes.  Get it up to a rolling boil and cook for about five minutes, then reduce the heat so it simmers and cook for another twenty minutes to an hour.  Beware!  The longer you cook, the mushier the carrots and potatoes become.  The potatoes will start to break down and disintegrate.  If you like this, okay!  I prefer firm veggies, so I only cook another twenty five minutes or so, checking the potatoes frequently.  When the potatoes are almost done, add the peas for the last five minutes of cook time.  I let the peas sit out to defrost a bit, so when they go in they cook faster.

Serve over hot rice or with warm, crusty bread.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.  Careful not to choke on the lemongrass or bay leaf!  And yes, it is supposed to be soupy and runny.  This is not a thick curry.