Heat & Knives

The Recipe

Source: The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 medium carrot, minced
1/2 medium stalk celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 ounces pancetta, minced
4 ounces mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
12 ounces chicken thighs, skinned, boned, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces turkey or chicken giblets, trimmed and finely chopped, or 4 ounces lean ground pork
4 ounces lean beef chuck, finely chopped
1 California bay laurel leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
Generous pinch of ground cloves
1 1/4 cups poultry or meat stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons imported Italian tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mincing the meats by hand makes for better browning and gives a silkier texture to the sauce. [Umm, I bought a bag of ground meat from the butcher shop.] In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables and pancetta. Leisurely saute, stirring often, until they begin to color, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, chicken, giblets, beef, and bay leaf. Cook over high heat 8 more minutes, or until they begin to brown. Lower the heat to medium, and continue sauteing, stirring often with a wooden spatula, 10 minutes, or until the meat is rich dark brown. It should sizzle quietly in the pan, not violently pop and sputter. Slow browning protects the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan.

Drain off fat by tipping the browned meat into a large sieve and shaking it. Put the meat back into the pan, placing it over medium-high heat. Add the wine and cloves. Cook at a lively bubble 3 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated. As the wine bubbles, use a wooden spatula to scrape up the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/4 cup of the stock. Take about 3 minutes to cook it down to nothing. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and another 1/4 cup of stock; bubble it down to nothing again. Turn the mixture into a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan.

Add the remaining stock to the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, uncovered, 30 to 45 minutes, or until the stock has reduced by about one third and the sauce is moist but not loose. Add the cream, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste. Allow the ragu to cool; cover and refrigerate. Defat the ragu when it is cold.

Toss the reheated ragu with cooked pasta as suggested above. Serve in heated bowls, passing freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese separately.