INGREDIENTS:
1 pound uncooked or cooked beef, pork or lamb, or a mix, ground or finely chopped (see note)
1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup yellow chopped onion, in small dice
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped carrots, in small dice
1 cup chopped celery, in small dice
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with juice
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS:
Instructions: Rub the salt into the ground or chopped meat, preferably 24 hours ahead of time.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the onion and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until onion has lost its crunch and become sweet, 8-10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, another pinch of salt, and cook until they, too, have lost their crunch, another 8-10 minutes.
If you are using raw meat, add it first and cook until all the pink is gone. If you are using cooked meat, cook until it is completely coated with the vegetable base and has cooked out any of its pinkness, as well. If using both raw and cooked meat, cook raw meat first, until it is the same doneness as the cooked meat, then add the cooked meat. Make sure you break up any big clumps of meat.
Add milk. This will look like a lot of liquid, but it will all cook off over time. Reduce heat to low and stir frequently to prevent burning. Simmer until all liquid has evaporated, about 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes. Add nutmeg, if using.
Add wine and simmer as you did the milk, until it evaporates, another 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring about every 10 minutes.
Carefully add tomatoes, stirring them into the sauce. Reduce heat as low as it will go, and cook for 3 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve over pasta or creamy polenta and top with Parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Note: To use up bits of cooked meat, it’s best to chop it rather than grinding it.
Per serving: 270 calories, 13 g protein, g 10 carbohydrate, 16 g fat (8 g saturated), 62 mg cholesterol, 1,078 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.