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My Bolognese Sauce
1 lb ground beef1 lb ground pork
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs butter
1 Tbs fennel seed, measured then finely ground
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to preferred heat level)
1 Tbs fish sauce (umami flavor!, salt replacement)
salt & pepper to taste (see below)
1 handful of fresh basil, chiffonaded
1. Melt butter in a large pot and saute on medium heat until the carrots, celery and onion are soft. Add the ground meat, incorporating well and browning meat until fully cooked.
2. Add the ground fennel seed, red pepper flakes and fish sauce. Mix and saute for 1-2 minutes until well combined and the fennel begins to become fragrant.
3. Add the tomato sauce and then cover with a metal mesh splatter guard and partially with a lid, to let steam escape and evaporate. Reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer setting and let cook for 1-2 hours, depending on personal preference. My bolognese relies heavily on tasting the sauce to know when it's done. Taste your sauce. If you think it needs further reducing, salt or pepper, then do so.
4. Add the basil towards the end of cooking the sauce, as the fresh basil flavor will basically cook out while the sauce is simmering and reducing.
5. Boil pasta to box directions or to preferred liking and then serve sauce on top of pasta.
Notes:
*Do not add garlic to your bolognese. With how long you cook your sauce, the garlic will only turn bitter and reflect so in the sauce. You do not want a bitter bolognese.
*Only add salt when you're nearly ready to serve, as you can always add salt but you cannot take it out. Adding salt to the beginning may concentrate the salt and make the end result sauce too salty. Keep this in mind for any cooking you may do.
*I personally prefer San Marzano tomatoes, but it's entirely up to you which brand and type of tomatoes to use. I also prefer to use crushed tomatoes rather than sauce, because I feel it creates a more hearty sauce.
