Bolognese Sauce plus Menu November 15-21

We've had our first significant snow of the year, which always makes me want to cook hearty meals that heat the kitchen and make the whole house smell delicious. Bolognese sauce is one of my favorite "cook big and freeze" sauces to make. I always try to make big batches of soups and stews so I can freeze the leftovers for a last minute meal, but bolognese lends itself to so many meals;spaghetti; lasagna;baked pasta casseroles. The prep work is minimal. Most of the time involved is occasional stirring while the sauce simmers for several hours.

I use a Martha Stewart recipe that I have had great success with. I start with 2 slices of bacon in a large stockpot, I cook them on low to medium heat so they render their fat without getting to crispy.


When the bacon has rendered most of its fat, I add the vegetables: 1 whole onion diced, several carrots, 1 or 2 stalks of celery and 6 to 8 cloves of minced garlic. I take this opportunity to add extra vegetables because any meal my kids eat huge helpings of without picking out the vegies, I view as a tremendous accomplishment.

After the vegies have softened, about 8 minutes, add 2 pounds of ground meat. I typically use ground beef or 1 pound beef an done pound pork. Next add 2 cups of milk. I will admit that the first time I read this recipe I was skeptical. Ignore the texture and smell during this part of the process, it makes a huge difference in the end product. The recipe also calls for a pinch of nutmeg at this time as well. I admit, I use more than a pinch because I love the aromatic quality and the flavor no one can quite put their finger on when they eat the sauce.

After the milk reduces by about half, add 1 cup of dry white wine. Continue stirring occasionally, until the strong wine alcohol vapor cooks away. Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes or 3 quarts of home canned tomatoes that have been pureed in the food processor. Salt and pepper lightly and let the sauce simmer for several hours stirring occasionally.

MS suggests adding water to keep the sauce thin, but I let it cook to a reasonably thick consistency that I prefer for lasagna (doesn't leave lots of moisture at the bottom of the pan) and when I reheat, I take the frozen sauce and add it directly to a sauce pan with some water in it to keep the frozen sauce from scorching.

The end result is a beautiful, flavorful, simple sauce. I try to keep the freezer well stocked throughout the winter. We often take it ice fishing since it's a wonderful, "stick to your ribs" meal. It's also a great quick meal when life gets crazy!

Our meal plan for this week is fairly easy. I forgot to pull my roast out Saturday, so it will make an appearance in the crockpot Monday. I bought all the vegetables for root vegetable stew, and then made regular stew for my son who just bought a house and his moving crew, so I'll try again this week.

Monday: Carne Guisada, Mexican Rice

Tuesday: Ham & Cheese Puff Tart

Wednesday: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Vegies

Thursday: Vegetable Stew with Gruyere Crostini
Friday: Linguine with Clam Sauce, Salad, Garlic Toast

Saturday: Pork Roast

Sunday: Not sure yet???

Don't forget to visit Laura at orgjunkie.com for more great ideas.

Pork Rib Ragu

This week I made a Pork Ragu. This recipe is a perfect example of one of my favorite cooking styles: Peasant Food! This style of cooking can be found in almost every cuisine and typically uses the cheapest cuts of meats or leftovers and abundant, inexpensive local ingredients. The list includes British Shepards' Pie, Welsh Rarebit, Japanese Ramen Bowls and French Fromage Fort. The Italians have elevated peasant fare to an art-form with slow cooked meat sauces.

I adapted a Martha Stewart Recipe and used all the leftover odds and ends in my freezer. I had a small package of pork spareribs and some neck bones. To make the recipe in the crockpot, I browned the ribs and set them aside. Then I sauteed the vegetables and reduced them with wine and stored the meat and vegetables separately in the fridge over night and put it all together in the crock pot in the morning. I covered the mixture with water, which was probably too much. My sauce was more broth-like than gravy, I would add less water next time.
Skimming fat from the broth.

Meat pulled from the bones, I also rescued the vegetables from the crockpot.

To finish the sauce, I sauteed more onions in butter and added a couple of tablespoons of flour as a thickener and added the broth.

I served the ragu over pasta. It would be good over potatoes, rice or polenta. This recipe would be easily adapted for beef ribs.

Menu November 8 thru 14

As always, things are busy, I did not post a menu plan last week, but did plan just the same. I made a batch of stew and froze half for a future meal. I also made a big batch of chicken burritos and individually wrapped each one for easy lunchs and dinners.

This week will probably not include must rest and relaxation, but plenty of good eats!

Monday: Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Cheese Quesadillas

Tuesday: Pork Ragu (adapted for the crock pot), Salad

Wednesday: Grilled Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad

Thursday: Clam Chowder (enough to freeze for another meal)

Friday: Deviled Chicken, Green Beans

Saturday: Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Sunday: Birthday Party with Friends

For menu recipes and menus, visit the Organizing Junkie!