Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

If someone were to ask me what pasta dish would I order at an Italian restaurant, I would reply "the Bolognese."  A "Bolognese," which is also referred to as a "ragu," is a sauce of chopped meat and vegetables cooked in a liquid, such as water or wine.  The sauce is perhaps the most familiar dish from the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna.  And, if it is done right, the Bolognese is perhaps one of the best pasta sauces ever created, not only in Italy, but perhaps the entire world (at least in my humble opinion).  

Speaking of origins, the earliest documented recipe for a Bolognese dates back to the late 1700s.   Lynn Rossetto Kasper writes in her book, The Splendid Table, that Alberto Alvisi, a cook to the Cardinal of Imola, made a sauce that he called "ragu for maccheroni."  The first published recipe was written by Pellegrino Artusi in his 1891 cookbook, La Scienza in Cucina e L'Arte di Mangiare Bene ("The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well").  The recipe called for veal fillets, butter, onions and carrots.  The ingredients were to be minced finely, cooked in the butter, and then covered with a broth.   Artusi also suggested adding mushrooms to improve the taste, as well as cream to make a smoother sauce.  

A lot of time has passed since Artusi published his recipe.  With time, comes change.  At some point over the years, decades and centuries, cooks began to use other proteins, such as beef and pork.   They also substituted water or wine for the broth.  The changes went beyond mere substitutions. Cooks decided to add other ingredients, such as tomato paste.  Many of these changes were probably brought about by necessity, such as the availability of cost of beef.  Other changes were probably made to alter the taste, such as the use of wine over broth.  In the end, these changes produced a sauce made with minced meat, onions, carrots, celery and tomato paste, all of which are cooked in a liquid of the cook's choice.  

One final note about this recipe.  Traditionally, a Bolognese is served with Tagliatelle pasta, which is the traditional type of pasta in Emilia-Romagna.  Tagliatelle is a long, flat pasta.  The flatness of the pasta is the key.  You want a surface that can serve as a canvas for the sauce.  Tagliatelle can be a little hard to find, especially if you do not have an Italian store near you.  If you can't find that pasta, you can use Fettuccine or even Pappardelle.  Just avoid the dried pasta.  A Bolognese should only grace fresh pasta.   It definitely costs more to buy fresh pasta.  However, trust me.  It is definitely worth the cost.  

TAGLIATELLE ALLA BOLOGNESE

Recipe from Oscar Farinetti, How to Eataly at pg. 56

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 small carrot, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

4 ounces ground veal

4 ounces ground pork

4 ounces ground beef

Fine sea salt, to taste

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup tomato paste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chicken or beef stock

Coarse sea salt for pasta cooking water

Fresh tagliatelle

Grated grana cheese, for serving

Directions:

1.  In a heavy Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes more.

2.  Crumble the veal, pork and beef into the pot.  Season with fine sea salt.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat has rendered most of its fat and is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Spoon out and discard some of the rendered fat, but leave enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  (This will depend upon the meat that you are using - there may not be an excessive amount of fat.)

3.  Add the wine and increase the heat to medium.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated, about 6 minutes.

4.  Decrease the heat to low, add the tomato paste, stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the stock and adjust the heat if necessary to reach a gentle simmer.  Simmer until the stock has reduced but the sauce is still moist, about 45 minutes longer.  Taste the sauce, adjust the seasoning if necessary and remove from the heat.

5.  Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.  When the water is boiling, salt it with coarse salt and add the pasta.  Cook until the pasta rises to the surface of the water.  

6.  Smear a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a warmed pasta serving bowl. 

7.  When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander, then transfer it immediately to the serving bowl.  Top with the remaining sauce and toss vigorously to combine.  Serve immediately with grated cheese on the table.

ENJOY!

Veal and Pork Meatball Sandwiches

There is this sandwich shop called The Sentinel in San Francisco.  Zagat's Guide tells of long lines at the take-out only shop.  It was opened by chef Dennis Leary.  After having served as the chef at Rubicon, Chef Leary decided to downsize to a small shop, one that would serve simpler, yet authentic fare for breakfast and lunch.  The result is the Sentinel.

I have never eaten at the Sentinel; and, until a few weeks ago, I never even knew about the restaurant.  I was researching recipes, looking for an appetizer or sandwich that I could use to represent San Francisco at the Savage Boleks Super Bowl Party VI.  I had already had the recipe that would represent Baltimore, the Charm City's classic, Baltimore Pit Beef with Tiger Sauce. That sandwich originated on Pulaski Highway, sold by restaurants like Chaps.  I needed a similar type of recipe to represent San Francisco.  That is when I came across The Sentinel.  I looked at its menus, and I came across a menu item ... Veal and Pork Meatball Sandwich, with cabbage. I thought that this recipe could work for a Super Bowl Party.

The only problem is that I did not have a recipe.  Chef Leary has not posted any recipes for the dishes that he creates or makes.  I scoured the Internet and eventually found a recipe for pork and veal meatballs.  I decided to make a few, very minor alterations to the recipe, such as making the meatballs larger than the size called for in the recipe.  The Italian side of my family seemed to be calling out to me for bigger meatballs.  They got their wish.  I also used breadcrumbs instead of stale bread for the meatballs, and adding more dried herbs to the tomato sauce.  I think these modifications worked well.  

The one thing I would have done differently is add some additional herbs and spices to the meatballs themselves.  The recipe calls for the use of fresh oregano, which is fine.  However, it is not as potent in terms of aroma and flavor as dried oregano.  I would have also added some basil and some crushed red pepper, both of which are usually standards for when I make meatballs.  If I felt a little adventurous, maybe some dried thyme or dried parsley would be added to the mix. 

Nevertheless, in the end, I think the recipe worked well.  I do not know how it fared being pitted head to head against Baltimore Pit Beef at a Super Bowl Party held about one hour away from Charm City.  I think the outcome may have been reflected in the final score of the big game itself. Who knows? The one thing that I know is that this is a fairly easy dish to make for a party, which means that I'll be making it again. 

VEAL AND PORK MEATBALL SANDWICHES

Recipe for the meatballs adapted from Tiny Test Kitchen

Serves 4-6

Ingredients (for the meatballs):

1 pound of ground veal

1 pound of ground pork

1/4 cup organic whole milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh flour, for dusting
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

Ingredients (for the sauce):
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
2 tablespoons of dried basil
2 tablespoons of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

Ingredients (for the sandwiches):
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
Hoagie rolls

Directions:
1.  Saute the onions and garlic.  Heat 9 inch frying pan over medium heat.  Add oil to hot pan.  Add onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.  Add garlic, cook for 1 minute and make sure it does not color.  Let cool.  While the onions and garlic are cooking, add bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, stir to combine.

2.  Make the meatballs.  In a large bowl, combine cooled onion and garlic, milk and crumbs, pork, veal, egg, parsley and oregano.  Season with a sprinkle of kosher salt and a couple grinds of pepper.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Form 1 inch meatballs and place them 3 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.  (You should have 3 rows of 6 on each sheet).  Place flour into a sieve or sifter and dust meatballs with flour.

3.  Bake the meatballs.  Preheat the oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. Place meatballs in oven and cook for 20 minutes.

4.  Make the sauce.  Heat oil in large sauce pan.  Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, making sure it does not color.  Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium, to prevent splitting and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes.

5.  Add meatballs to sauce.  When meatballs are done, remove from oven.  Using tongs, place the meatballs in the sauce.  Reduce heat to low and cook covered for an additional 20 minutes.

6.  Finish the dish.  Toast the hoagie rolls.  Add 3-4 meatballs to a roll and spoon some sauce over the meatballs.  Garnish with some sliced cabbage and serve immediately.

ENJOY!