Cooking Cheap

To quote Jeff Smith, “This is that very rich beef sauce that will turn a plate of pasta into a bit of glory” He’s right. This stuff is good enough to go to the pain of making the tomato sauce. I’ve done both in one day, but its a logistical nightmare. Take two days.

This is not like a Bolognese that uses hamburger carrots and a lot of milk. I make that occasionlly but it’s not as good as this recipe.

I can never find a 1lb roast in the supermarket but thats ok. Buy the bigger roast and after the shredding step, put all but a pounds worth (i.e half of a two pound or 2/3rd’s of a three lb) into freezer bags/containers for absolutely perfect taco meat or another Bolognese batch.

• 1 pound boneless beef chuck.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Brown well in a suitable size pot (dutch oven) in olive oil After browning add the following

• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup water or beef broth

Simmer gently, covered, for 2 hours. Add water to keep the pan from drying out. (Juice is good). Allow the the meat to cool in the liquid until its cool enough to handle. Shred the meat and place in a 4 qt pot (I use the same pot) along with its cooking juices. Add

• 2 1/2 cups of the Fresh Tomato Sauce Sicilian
• 1 cup chicken stock

Simmer the shredded beef in the tomato sauce and broth for 45 minutes, stirring often. Then add

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup cream

Simmer 15 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.