Meat Me Halfway
/This is my take on a classic Bolognese meat sauce, and I gotta give myself major props for this one. It's so freaking good. It's one of my famous Jesscipes that everyone in my life truly enjoys. I love making it and serving it. My son, who generally has to be tied to a chair to eat, eats it WILLINGLY, which is huge for me. When my kids don't eat well, I'm both stressed and baffled. No one EVER had to "force me to eat". It's like fighting with your baby to take a nap. My kids were overall great nappers, but of course would occasionally resist. I'd think, "Dude, it's my legit dream to have someone command me to sleep midday. Do not waste this." Back to the sauce. When there is someone in my life who is having a hard time, I make them this. It's a comforting, heavy, substantial dish. It warms the insides.
wearing: DKNY necklace | Netali Nissim bracelets
JESScipe - Bolognese
INGREDIENTS
- Three pounds extra lean ground beef
- Four 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 3 TBSP tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 3 cloves of minced peeled garlic
- 3 TBSP each garlic powder
- 1 Tsp turmeric
- 1 sp dried thyme
- 1 Tsp dried basil
- 1 nice sized dried bay leaf
* I'm not a wine gal, I actually use nerdy kosher red cooking wine (gasp!),but by all means use your favorite kind. Pour yourself a glass while you cook🍷and just chill and enjoy the process.
**Jerusalem is a spice mixture comprised of garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, and allspice. It's wonderful. Your kitchen will have the aroma of a Middle Eastern market. Btw, if you can't find the Jerusalem spice, use 3 TBSP of paprika and 1 TBSP of cumin powder. It'll be fine. Ready?
directions
In a large, deep pan or pot (I like a lot of room to stir) pour 2 TBSP of olive oil. My absolute favorite is this gorgeous flavored Israeli olive oil. The bottle is so lovely, and it actually tastes like what it claims to be. It's so irksome when products deceive us. This oil makes me feel fancy😉. Why not get some added flavor out the gate, right?
Heat the oil on medium. Drop in the minced garlic, that would be your aromatic. Garlic heats fast, and you don't want to burn it, you can use a little of the vino to deglaze, which will unstick and relax the garlic.
Btw, feel free to use a diced white or Spanish onion instead of or addition to the garlic. The man in our house has a visceral aversion to onions, like wants them dead, so over the years I've used other means to flavor, mostly with garlic, which he loves. What can I say, he's a man of specific extremes😝.
When the garlic smells great and released its flavor, put in the ground beef, all the while breaking it up to brown. Keep mixing. Raise the heat.
When the meat is 2/3rds cooked, pour in the wine. Mix. Let the wine actively simmer, a lot of it will evaporate. And the meat will have absorbed a rich, beautiful base of flavor.
After the meat is mostly browned, tightly cover the pot and drain half the fat.
I like to keep a measure of fat for flavor. Why the F not. Return to stove, lower flame so you can add the other ingredientses -Theresa Guidice, I'm talking to you, my fellow Jersey girl! I ❤ you. You are stronger than you know. Actually, I think you do know.
Add everything else and mix well. Cover the pot and bring to a strong, active simmer. Lower the flame and now gently simmer for at 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. Keep lid on for at least 15 minutes after to trap in all the flavors.
Serve over your favorite pasta, rice, Farro, couscous, or any other hearty grain. Lafah bread brushed with the same flavored oil and sprinkled generously with oregano, then baked in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on if you like it soft or crispy, is a great accompaniment. Break or cut into wedges. Devour! And finish that bottle of 🍷with someone you love. It's totally awesome if that happens to be yourself ❤
