Category Archives: meat

Chicken and Mushroom Ragu over Pasta

Posted on March 10, 2013 | 6 comments

I kind of winged this one but it came out so well I just had to post it . I had mushrooms , I had skinless chicken thighs, and all of the other ingredients. Pappardelle type pasta would have been awesome, but I only had fettucine. It was perfectly fine, just try and get as fat a noodle as possible, fettucine, pappardelle type of spaghetti. This is a rustic type ragu, of course you can use white meat chicken just cut into 1/2″ pieces. Firstly what is a ragu?  In Italian cuisine it is a meat-based sauce, commonly served with a pasta. In the northern Italian regions, a ragu is typically a sauce of meat , and cooked with sautéed vegetables in a liquid. Meats are varied and the liquids can be broth, stock, water wine, milk , cream or tomato, and often includes combinations of these. Characteristically, a ragu is a sauce of braised or stewed meat that may be flavoured with tomato, to distinguish it from a tomato sauce that is flavoured with the addition of meat. In southern Italian regions, ragus contain substantial quantities of meat, cooked with vegetables and tomatoes as well. This ragu is a winner, and pretty easy. You’ll need a food processor to get the mushrooms chopped, and a 12″ heavy skillet.

I might also add that I added the arugula and Joel had quite the time picking it out. It added a wonderful flavor despite his picking, I would have loved to do a pod cast of him picking it out, but I was too busy enjoying the dish! photo (8)photo (11)photo (10)photo (12)

Picture of a beautiful Colorado Day from my kitchen to yours. Just have to add that my family is out here now and they loved this dish! especially my son-in-law Brian.

*serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients:

6 oz. cremini mushrooms

3 garlic cloves

1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into app. 1/2-inch pieces

1 small onion chopped

3/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes in juice

1 lb. box of pasta, Pappardelle, Fettucine, any thick spaghetti will do nicely

5 oz. baby arugula, kale, spinach whatever green you like and have in the house will work just fine (use as much or as little of this as you want, 5 oz. was an estimate)

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Pulse mushrooms and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over medium high heat. Cut chicken into 1/2″ pieces ( approximately) and season chicken with about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and  about 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Cook chicken in olive oil until a golden color, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and cook onion in oil, stirring occasionally until softened , about 5 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture, rosemary , 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, stirring constantly until it begins to brown up, again about 5 minutes.

Add vinegar and cook until evaporated for about 3 minutes, Add chicken and tomatoes ( with juice) then bring to a simmer, breaking up whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, stir occasionally, cook until sauce starts to thicken up, about 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile cook pasta until al-dente (according to package directions)

Add arugula to sauce and stir until wilted , it will wilt immediately, reserve a cup of pasta water before draining pasta and add to sauce as needed, I probably used 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin it out . Serve sauce over pasta, it was delicious.

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Orzo and Lamb Shanks – Winter Comfort Food

Posted on February 27, 2013 | 3 comments

photo (7)photo (8)photo (6)photo (5)photo (4)photo (2)photoI had just purchased Ina Garten’s new “Foolproof” cookbook back in 2013 and this amazingly delicious recipe was in there. I have to admit, I didn’t care for the way the lamb shanks looked raw but luckily I got past this. It was Oscar night 2013 and I couldn’t wait to sit down and watch. My idea of an Oscar party is to eat dinner at home and be in my pj’s by the time they start. Being out in Colorado means they start red carpet at 3, so dvr was set and I got to work on dinner. I like to watch the Oscars themselves live, so I had my work cut out for me. I also like watching alone, with texting and tweeting its like you are never alone anyway. It was a perfectly cold winter night, and Joel and I both love braised meats. This was pretty easy to pull together and I did it in under an hour, put in the oven and 2 hours later we were ready to eat this delicious meal. I must say the orzo was spectacular, and I would make this without meat as well.

This was my original post and then this New Years Eve it was on the menu again! We shared New Years Eve with our dear friends and spent the afternoon shopping and cooking! Now that’s my kind of meal. It takes a little work but totally worth the effort .I put up some pics of this as well.

Ingredients:

*this recipe serves 4, I cut it in 1/2 for Joel and I, but I made the 2 cups of orzo which we ate the next night as well.

1 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 lamb shanks ( app. 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. each)

Grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onions

2 cups diced carrots ( app. 4 – 5 carrots)

3 stalks diced celery ( medium diced)

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes , including the juice

2 cups beef broth

1 1/2 cups dry white wine, plus 3 tablespoons

2 bay leaves

2 cups orzo

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and dredge the lamb shanks in it, shaking off any excess flour. In a large Dutch oven such as Le Creuset , heat 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil over medium -high heat . Add lamb shanks and cook for about 10 minutes, till browned on all sides, using tongs let them brown on all sides, be careful not to burn oil. Transfer the shanks to a plate. Don’t crowd the shanks, so do 2 at a time, you may need to add a little grapeseed oil for the second time.

Let pot cool a little and wipe Dutch oven with a paper towel, removing all remnants of old oil. Add the olive oil and heat over medium to medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary and cook for about 10 minutes until all veggies are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the can of tomatoes, beef broth, wine, 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add the lamb shanks, try and submerge them as much as possible in the liquid. Put in the bay leaves and bring to a simmer on the stovetop. Once it is simmering, cover the pot and place in the oven for 2 hours, I turned the shanks around after the first hour.

After 2 hours, add the orzo, stir it in and return the lamb shanks to the oven for about 20 minutes, until orzo is fully cooked and the lamb shanks are very tender. Discard the bay leaves, stir in 3 tablespoons of white wine, and taste for seasonings. Mine didn’t need any more seasoning, I also cut original salt in the recipe to 3 teaspoons instead of 4 and it was perfect. You can always add additional salt at the end.

Serve hot and enjoy!

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Kitchen Sink White Bean Chili (also my Super Bowl Chili)

Posted on February 1, 2013 | 4 comments

We just got back from two beautiful days in Moab, Utah. We hiked most of the time and the glory and splendor that is there has no words. If you ever have the opportunity to go you should do so. It is an amazing area–Arches National Park, the Canyonlands, the whole area is just breathtaking. We hadn’t had snow here so we went on the road. Now we’re back and today was spectacular! It snowed in Aspen last night and we skied today. So nice to be back skiing. It was Sunday, and the Giants were in the playoffs. Joel set the DVR and we were gone all day. I had taken out a package of chopped turkey and figured that I would pick up a few things and make this chili that I love. I use a lot of stuff from my pantry and substitute ingredients where necessary (it’s a think-on-your-feet kind of recipe!) I served with shredded cheese and chips, and it was heartwarming and delicious.

I also have to add a little note: I cook a lot and usually make a big mess. Joel always cleans up and he is such a good cleaner upper! Our deal is that I do the cooking and he does the cleaning. I might add that this is a very good deal because I am not so fond of cleaning up the mess I make cooking. Obviously, I try to clean as I go, so as to not be a complete pig about it, but he’s really a good sport about it, in general. Anyway, he asked me to post a picture of some of the mess I left him in the sink.

I also make this as one of my dishes for Super Bowl but usually for Super Bowl I do it in the slow cooker so it stays warm for a long time. I just throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and simmer away. Tonite I cooked it in my trusty Le Creuset. I often mess around with these ingredients and you can too. For instance, I only had 1 can of White Northern Beans but I had 2 of Pinto so as long as they are white beans it’s okay to use them. I didn’t have Picante sauce in the house, but I had some great salsa, so I used that instead. I made it with turkey but you can use chicken, or eliminate meat altogether and make it vegetarian with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It’s chili, which is not a perfect science by any means; so be flexible with ingredients, but make sure to use proportionate amounts.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 large white onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (I use green for color but be my guest and switch to whatever you have handy or prefer to use)

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3 15 oz. cans of White Northern Beans (or any white bean, such as Pinto), drained

7 oz. salsa or Picante sauce (Newman’s own was in pantry but I found a fresh salsa in fridge so I substitured the fresh salsa) they are both fine, use whatever

1 8 oz. can of diced green chiles (I used 2 cans of 4 oz. hot green chiles)

1 8 oz. can of whole kernel corn

1 lb. can diced tomatoes (drained)

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. Mexican oregano (this is available here in Colorado but may not be everywhere. You can try to find it but if you can’t, regular oregano will have to do…and yes, I know that it looks like pot in my picture.)

Kosher salt to taste (you’ll need a fair amount but salt along the way to your liking, I used a fair amount of salt, but use your own discretion, it’s a big pot of chili

Freshly ground black pepper to taste (if you have white pepper that works as well in this, because it is White Chili)

3 – 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock (I start out with 3 and if it is too thick I usually add up to another cup.) I did use 4 at the end, if you’re eating it that night use 3 then before you freeze or refrigerate add another cup to the pot.

12 oz. sour cream (Lite is good. Non-fat is okay, but I don’t love it. Strain first to get rid of that little bit of liquid. You can also use yogurt. Add this ingredient last and blend in well.) Sometimes, I take it out of container and mix it up a bit so it will blend in better.

Shredded cheese (Mexican Style, Jalapeno or Cheddar), for topping. (I let people add this themselves, since some people don’t want the cheese.)

* jalapeno pepper (I love the heat so I dice up a fresh jalapeno, add it to mine, and then leave it in a little bowl for anyone else who may want it.)

Tortilla chips on the side

Directions:

In a large stockpot (my trusty Le Creuset) melt the butter on a medium heat.  Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until soft. I add the garlic at this point and a little kosher salt.

Puree 1 1/2 cans of the drained beans (Cuisinart food processor is best) until beans are smooth and add to the pot.

Add the rest of the beans, along with the salsa, chiles, corn, tomatoes, and spices (plus anything else you may want to add). Cook for a few more minutes on a low heat,  until the ingredients are blended.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. I then lower the heat and simmer for about an hour on the stove top.

Before you’re ready to serve it, add the sour cream and blend well while simmering.

I place the shredded cheese, extra sour cream, chips, fresh-cut up jalapenos, salsa (and sometimes guacamole) in bowls on the side so everyone can make their chili their way.

Enjoy!

This is so easy, you can make in the morning, and let it sit all day in fridge. You may want to add liquid at some point when you serve. We ate it that night, and then I put in containers for fridge and freezer. I added the rest of the stock before I froze it. Just add back to pot and stir, and then ladle into containers.  Keeps in fridge for at least 3 days. Perfect for freezing, I just take it out of freezer in the morning and by evening it should be defrosted , heat it up and you may need to add some liquid if it is too thick. Those little boxes ( 1 cup size) of broth come in handy here.

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Bree’s Slow Cooked Skirt Steaks

Posted on January 31, 2013 | 4 comments

Skirt Steak and Brody Birthday 004Skirt Steak and Brody Birthday 006Skirt Steak 014This recipe has been with me since 2013 and it is truly one of my easiest go-to recipes that I really love to make and mostly love to eat. It’s perfect for the Holidays or any night. I started making it for Passover and Rosh Hashana because it cooks in the slow cooker and frees up my oven . This is a winner in every sense of the word.

Super easy to make and very few ingredients.

Thanks again to Bree for this much beloved recipe.

* I used 1.39 lbs. of meat for the 2 of us and there wasn’t a single morsel left. Increase all ingredients as you need them.

Ingredients:

*this should be good for 3-4 people

2 lbs. of skirt steak– skirt steak tends to shrink a bit so you can go a little over

Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki

1 Orange ( app. 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice) if no fresh available use concentrate

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

I pat my meat dry with paper towels, then I salt and pepper both sides. I lightly sprinkled because of the sauce which contains salt. I sprayed my slow cooker with Pam to make clean up easier on Joel. Placed steak in slow cooker, covered with enough Soy Vay just to cover , as Bree told me it doesn’t need to swim in it just to cover. Added fresh OJ, moved steak around a bit to mix up all ingredients, turned on slow cooker for 6 hours on low! Awesome! Thanks so much to Bree for sharing this recipe.

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Kick Ass Meatloaf

Posted on January 26, 2013 | 1 comment

More Winter Colorado 001No kidding around this is very spicy even for me.  I figured how spicy can this be?? Well very.  It was even better cold the next day.  In any event for those of you who really love spicy and love Sriracha this one’s for you.   I did make a few changes to original recipe and if I were you I’d cut the Sriracha sauce in 1/2 and you can always add it when you eat it if you’re not sure you’ll like it that spicy.  I love this Sriracha sauce, and it’s awesome on eggs and just about everything in between, so I was super excited to cook something with it.  It was also very different for me because I have never cooked meatloaf in a loaf pan, I will say it took longer than 60 minutes to cook through the center .  Check middle after 60 minutes, and I added a good 10 minutes and let it sit for at least 10 more at the end. It was very moist and yummy.

*Original recipe from Sunny Anderson

Winter '13 colorado 046Winter '13 colorado 043Winter '13 colorado 044

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 cloves garlic , grated in

8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion , chopped or Vidalia

1 scallion , minced

1 lb. ground chuck

1 lb. ground dark meat turkey

1 cup plain bread crumbs

9 x 5 loaf pan

Spicy Ketchup Sauce:

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

For the spicy ketchup sauce, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir. You will use app. 1/2 of it for the topping, and 1/2 of it for the meatloaf. Set aside.

Meatloaf:

In a large bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, egg , salt, pepper, paprika, garlic , thyme, onions , scallions, and 1/2 of the reserved spicy ketchup sauce.

Crumble 1/2 the chuck into the bowl, followed by some of the bread crumbs, then 1/2 the turkey, repeat with other 1/2 of meat and remaining bread crumbs. It made mixing a little easier, and apparently makes for a juicier loaf. Gently mix with your hands (clean please) bringing the egg mixture from the bottom to the top and around until everything is gently combined. Place into a 9×5 sprayed loaf pan, flatten the top and pour the remaining spicy ketchup over the top evenly. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes and check on it for doneness, I used a meat thermometer in the center. I also placed loaf pan on a cookie sheet because it looked like it might erupt up and over the loaf, and didn’t feel like having that mess in my oven. It was pretty clean, but I would still do this. After meatloaf cooled down for 10 minutes, I tilted the pan slowly to 1 corner and discarded any excess fat or juices from the pan while holding the loaf inside. ( a little tricky but was able to do it) I sliced into 1 inch thick portions and it was beautiful, serve warm, and it was awesome cold the next day. Makes for a great leftover.

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Sunday Night Stew on a Tuesday Night

Posted on January 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

I bought some Beef Stew Meat from Whole Foods, and was trying to decide what to do with it . It was Tuesday night and freezing out here in Colorado . We were caught in a frozen snap of weather and there was no way I was venturing out of the house again with temperatures dropping below O. I love to make my beef stew in the slow cooker but no time for that. This does need three hours but the slow cooker needs at least 6 .  If making in the slow cooker you’ll need more liquid. I will say that the key to a good stew is cooking a long time. This is super easy to make and I even got Joel to eat the turnips because he thought they were potatoes, but he knew better and asked so I had to fess up. He ate all of the carrots and all the turnips on his plate, maybe because I cut them up small? who knows. It does my heart good to see him eat a vegetable, any vegetable. I served with egg noodles, but must say mashed potatoes would be pretty awesome!

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Olive OIl

1 tablespoon Butter

2 lbs. Beef Stew Meat ( Chuck Roast cut into Cubes)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole medium yellow onion, diced

4 oz. Tomato Paste

1/4 cup Red Wine

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar* not totally necessary but rounds it out somehow

4 cups Beef Stock ( Broth) * you may need more if sauce thickens too much, you can always add a little water

4 whole carrots , peeled and diced

2 whole turnips, peeled and diced

* I cut this whole recipe in 1/2 for just the two of us, and it was perfect.

*use whatever vegetables you’d like , it doesn’t matter, I like the turnips because they have a potato like texture and parsnips will fall apart easier.

Directions:

This recipe all took place in one pot, Le Creuset dutch oven for everything.( simply the best possible pot to own)

I like to pat my meat dry before seasoning, it helps to form a crust. I salt and pepper pretty liberally. (just a little tip)

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it is melted, brown half the meat ( or as much as you can at one time without crowding) until the outside gets nice and brown and forms a nice little crust. Let it sit for a couple of minutes , then turn it as it browns. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate on the side. When all of the meat is browned, just set it aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring to coat it, and scraping up all the brown bits as you go. Cook for a few minutes till onions become transparent , add the tomato paste to the pot, and swirl around stirring it into the onions. Stirring constantly , pour in the beef stock, red wine and Beef Stew 012Beef Stew 016Beef Stew 018Beef Stew 021Worcestershire sauce. Add the beef back into pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered for at least 2 hours. If liquid starts to evaporate during this period , add more stock a little at a time, or water if you have no stock.

After the 2 hours of simmering, add the turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine all ingredients, taste for salt and pepper,  cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes I simmered for an hour. Sauce should be thick but not too thick, you can always add a little broth/liquid.

Serve hot in bowls with noodles, rice, mashed potatoes or alone. It should serve 6 nicely this way.

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What I made for Dinner – Turkey Bolognese

Posted on October 22, 2012 | 1 comment

I must say Pasta is probably my most favorite food to eat. Bolognese sauce is one of my most favorites. Today I decided not to go to my usual Bolognese which is delicious but very heavy and rich. I went with a lighter approach today using Turkey and Chicken Sausage because I couldn’t find italian turkey sausage and didn’t feel like hunting it down, and the chicken sausage worked just fine. I did use dark meat turkey because it is much more flavorful, it is ideal but if you really don’t want to use the dark meat use 1/2 white and 1/2 dark or all white meat . The only negative to this sauce is that it really needs 3- 4 hours for the sauce to cook down. The longer the sauce cooks the more flavorful it will be.  This sauce would probably serve 4 nicely with 1 lb. of pasta. You can easily double it and freeze the leftover sauce. So nice to have it in the freezer and just have to make the pasta and you have a wonderful homemade meal. I have now started serving the sauce over shredded zucchini and spaghetti squash.  It is so delicious and you may feel a little bit better eating it over zucchini or spaghetti squash than noodles.  Pasta or Vegetable it’s pretty awesome. Look on my blog for Zucchini Bolognese Recipe for how to recipe, posted 12/20/2012.

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more if necessary

1 lb. Italian style Turkey or Chicken Sausage, removed from casings. You can also mix in hot or sweet Italian pork sausage if you don’t mind using the pork.

1 pound ground Turkey ( I used dark meat )

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely diced ( app. 2 cups)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 box. Rigatoni ( or any other macaroni you like ) or spaghetti or if you like use *shredded zucchini or *spaghetti squash ( see notes)

Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving

Directions:

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat. ( I use my Le Creuset ) Add the sausage meat and break it up as it cooks, turning now and then, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside, add the ground turkey to the pan along with a good pinch of salt and a few fresh grind of pepper. Cook the meat stirring here and there, for 10 minutes as well, till meat is nicely browned. I remove and put in bowl with the sausage which was set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook until onion breaks down and gets soft, another good 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice along with 1/2 cup of water. ( You may need more water as you go) Add the sausage and ground turkey, stir the sauce well. Bring the sauce to a boil, season to taste with salt and pepper and turn the heat to low. Cover almost completely with a lid (allowing a little steam to escape) and gently simmer for 4 hours. You may want to add splashes of water if sauce is drying out. After 2 hours I added the 1/3 cup of Tomato Paste, and replace lid and continue simmering for 2 more hours. I added water as it cooked, you’ll have to judge for yourself how much water you add. I added 1/4 cup at a time.

When the sauce is ready for serving, bring a large pot of water and prepare pasta according to package directions.

serve with sauce over the rigatoni ( or any pasta you like) with a nice grating of Parmesan.

Yum!

*so many stores now sell zucchini already shredded and it’s dry and ready to go. The only problem with doing it yourself is that you must get the extra moisture out.

*Spaghetti Squash – just have the store cut it in half because it’s a tough one to cut at home. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and scoop out the seeds. Spray a rimmed baking sheet and turn squash open side down on baking sheet and cook till soft, probably 45 minutes or so. Remove from oven and with a fork remove the inside of the squash into a bowl, it comes out like very thin spaghetti.

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Happy New Year Brisket re-blog

Posted on September 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy New Year Brisket – excellent recipe for delicious brisket.

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Flank Steak with Cola (Soda)

Posted on July 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Seems a little crazy to dump a cup of Cola on your steak but here you go. I have had this recipe for a while and I guess all the stuff in that Coke works magic on your steak. I use regular Cola Soda ( not diet) and this marinade will tenderize your flank steak or london broil. Marinate overnight, it’s best.  This recipe was in Living magazine and it looked good and it was!

Ingredients:

1 cup cola ( any kind will do, just not diet)

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

1/2 white/yellow onion , grated

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped ( app. 3 garlic cloves)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 Flank Steak or London Broil

Directions:

Combine cola, vinegar, onion , garlic, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the oil in a bowl. Place steak in a large plastic bag. ( Hefty Ziploc are the best) Pour the marinade over the steak.  Seal bag, press extra air out of bag. Refrigerate overnight. You might want to reserve a little bit of the marinade in a seperate container. When you take steak out the next day , you can brush it with remaining marinade after you grill for extra flavor.

Let steak stand at room temperature for at least an hour or so before you’re going to cook. Remove steak from bag, and discard the bag and marinade. Brush off any and all remaining onion and garlic from steak, or else it will just burn on grill. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper right before grilling, I am pretty liberal with the s and p.

Preheat grill to medium high, and I spray grill with Pam grill spray. If no spray , oil the grates . Grill Steak for probably 10 minutes per side for medium. All grills are different and you’ll have to see for yourself how long. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let it rest for a bit. I put foil over it, this steak is good even when it sits for a while and pretty good cold the next day on a salad.

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Another Classic Ragu Bolognese (Meat Lovers only)

Posted on May 21, 2012 | 4 comments

clean plate club for sure

Joel was riding a 100 mile bike ride the next day and that meant an early night at the Kolen House. I thought I would try out this Bolognese ( Meat Sauce)  and what a perfect dinner for him. I was not riding but love it and to hell with the calories, (which I’m sure are way high) sometimes you gotta just run with it. right? I have posted my other bolognese recipe  (delish bolognese) but this one intrigued me because of the red wine and simmered milk.   I am using fresh fettucine I was able to buy today. I don’t make my own pasta, but will have to attempt that someday. In the meanwhile I was able to buy it and would suggest using as fresh as you can get. If not it’s obviously fine, and just use a fettucine or tagliatelle type pasta. This sauce cooks for a while, so plan it out, make it on a day that you’re home for a few hours and can cook it. It’s perfect to make a head of time as well. This can be made 2 days ahead. Keep in fridge till ready to use . Rewarm it in a saucepan at a very low heat. I have also frozen it, and it came out perfectly, you just may have to add a little broth or pasta water. If can also freeze  the sauce, which I’ve done numerous times. This recipe was from one of our trips to Italy converted to US measurements for me I happen to come across it , and I am so happy that I did.  Enjoy! I am fairly confident you will.

*this will nicely serve 4 people, or 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cup finely chopped onions ( spanish) app. 1 large onion or 2 small should do it

1 cup finely chopped celery ( app. 2 stalks)

1 cup finely chopped carrots ( app. 2 large carrots)

6 oz. ground beef ( try to get 85/15 if available, you don’t want it too lean)

6 oz. ground veal

3 oz. diced pancetta

1/2 cup dry red wine ( I had a Pinot open so I used it and drank it while I cooked)

3 cups Chicken Stock, divided into 2 1/2 and 1/2 cup ( if you’d like you can also use Beef Stock) I used Chicken Stock

3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

1 cup Whole Milk ( yes I used whole not skim please)

1 lb. fresh egg fettucine or tagliatelle if available. If not use boxed, no biggie

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Finely Grated Parmesan ( fresh always best)

Directions:

I sprayed pot with cooking spray to make clean up easier. Heat oil in a large heavy pot( Le Creuset once again) over medium high heat. Add onions, celery and carrots. Saute until soft, about 8 – 10 minutes. Add beef, veal and pancetta; continue to saute, breaking meat up with the back of a wooden spoon until nice and browned, I did it for about 15 minutes. Add wine; boil for 1 minute, stirring often and scraping up all those delicious brown bits as you go. Add 2 1/2 cups stock and tomato paste; stir to blend. Reduce heat to as low as you can and gently simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours. Taste for salt and pepper.

Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan; when it simmers add to meat sauce. Stir well, and cover pot with lid slightly ajar and simmer over low heat for another 45 minutes or until the milk is fully absorbed.

Cook pasta according to directions, remember to salt water well. I go for al dente. Drain, reserving some pasta water ( at least 1/2 cup) I then transferred ragu to a large skillet, over low heat added the cooked pasta and toss to coat. If it seems to dry stir in a little of the reserved pasta water, dribble it in. Place in bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

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