The slow-cooked batch from our September cooking session, built around 870 g beef mince and 200 g bacon. A meat-rich sauce with softened garden celery, milk and a long, gentle reduction.
Recipe by Daniel
Ingredients
- 870 g beef mince
- 200 g bacon, finely diced
- 1 large brown onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced or grated
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced, or 100–130 g small garden stalks with a modest handful of leaves
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, only if needed
- 20 g butter
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g canned tomatoes, crushed
- 220 ml dry white wine
- 350 ml beef stock
- 275 ml full-cream milk
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- Black pepper and salt to taste
- 15 g butter and 40–50 g Parmesan, to finish
- Pasta and reserved pasta water, to serve
Method
- Render the bacon over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes without making it crisp. Add oil only if needed.
- Add onion, carrot, celery and 20 g butter. Cook gently for 12–15 minutes until very soft. Add garlic for the final minute.
- Increase the heat, add beef and brown for 10–12 minutes, allowing it contact with the pan. Fry the tomato paste through for 2–3 minutes.
- Add wine, scrape up the browned bits and reduce for 5–7 minutes. Add milk and nutmeg and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Simmer on very low heat, partly covered, for 3–4 hours. Stir periodically and add a little water if it catches. Uncover for the last 45–60 minutes, stopping when thick and glossy.
- Remove bay leaf. Taste before adding salt, then finish with 15 g butter and Parmesan. If saving for tomorrow, add the finishing butter and cheese when reheating instead.
- Cook pasta just short of your preferred doneness. Toss only the portion of sauce needed with pasta and a little reserved pasta water for 1–2 minutes.
Kitchen notes
The September batch used curly fettuccine. Without wine, deglaze with 100 ml of the stock and add the remaining 250 ml later. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers.
From preparation to the table
Original photographs from our family cooking. Where the recipe is labelled as a new version, these earlier photographs record the meal and may show variations rather than every exact ingredient or step above.
