The best and most authentic ones are slow cooked for as long as possible and use an assortment of minces (ie Beef, Pork & Veal) and should really use dry white wine rather than red wine, but I'm afraid tonight I am skipping the corners - and for shame, there's only red wine in the house! There should probably be many more caveats in this 1st paragraph, (including: yes, I'm afraid I will be eating it on spaghetti and no I didn't know that was an error), but for now I'll leave it at that and just say, it may not be authentic but it's tasty, so try it :). And just in case you're in the mood to be chained to the stove for the best portion of your day, there are some great recipes for that here. This will feed 6, (or less with plenty of leftovers) and all told probably takes about 45 mins.
Ingredients
Generous knob of butter
Olive oil
4 rashers of streaky bacon, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
400g minced beef, at room temperature
100ml milk (preferably whole milk)
1/2 a teaspoon of Nutmeg finely grated
150ml red wine
2 400ml tins of plum tomatoes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper
Method
You're going to need one gigantic saucepan and one medium frying pan. So grab 'em now.
Into the saucepan, pour the red wine and simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half of its original volume. Then add in the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Allow this to simmer gently while you're frying and adding in the rest of bits n bobs.
Melt the butter in the frying pan with a little glug of olive oil over a gentle heat and cook the bacon. Once the bacon is sizzling and the fat is starting to render, add in the onion, and cook gently until translucent & soft. Transfer the bacon and onion to the saucepan leaving the fat behind in the frying pan. Add the carrot & celery to the frying pan and fry for 5 minutes. Transfer to the simmering saucepan.
Into the saucepan, pour the red wine and simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half of its original volume. Then add in the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Allow this to simmer gently while you're frying and adding in the rest of bits n bobs.
Melt the butter in the frying pan with a little glug of olive oil over a gentle heat and cook the bacon. Once the bacon is sizzling and the fat is starting to render, add in the onion, and cook gently until translucent & soft. Transfer the bacon and onion to the saucepan leaving the fat behind in the frying pan. Add the carrot & celery to the frying pan and fry for 5 minutes. Transfer to the simmering saucepan.
Add the beef to the frying pan and brown, stirring occasionally. Pour in the milk, and grate a little nutmeg in too. Simmer over a medium heat until almost all the milk has evaporated (about 15 mins). When it's almost dry transfer the mince to the tomatoey saucepan and stir. Season to taste and pile high on a mound of pasta. Serve sprinkled with finely grated flavoursome cheese, such as a good English cheddar (or Parmesan if you must :)).
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