2 tb Olive oil
2 oz Finely-chopped pancetta
1 c Chopped onions
1/2 c Chopped celery
1/4 c Minced carrot
2 tb Minced shallots
1 tb Minced garlic
4 oz Ground veal round
4 oz Ground pork sausage
8 oz Ground beef chuck
2/3 c Dry red wine
1 1/2 c Meat stock
2 c Milk
1 c Peeled; seeded, crushed plum
-tomatoes
Salt; to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper;
-to taste
1/2 Recipe Basic Polenta; see *
-Note
* Note: See the “Basic Polenta” recipe which is included in this
collection.
Preheat the oven 375 degrees. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the
pan is smoking hot, saute the celery, onions, carrots, shallots and garlic.
Saute the vegetables for 1 to 2 minutes or until the vegetables are wilted.
Add the ground meats and saute until the meat is brown, about 4 to 5
minutes. Strain the fat off the meat. Turn the meat into a saucepan.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the stock and milk. Season with salt
and pepper. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour
and add the crushed red tomatoes. Continue simmering for 45 minutes or
until the mixture resembles a thick, meaty stew. Grease a 3-quart baking
dish. Slice the polenta into 1-inch slices. Spoon a small amount of the
ragu over the bottom of the dish. Arrange the polenta over the ragu. Top
the polenta with the ragu and sprinkle with the cheese. Repeat the
procedure until all the polenta is used. Spread any remaining ragu on top
and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour covered and the last 5
minutes uncovered. Spoon the mixture into a shallow bowl. Garnish with
cheese and green onions. This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
Yields
6 servings