Ragù alla Bolognese

Ingredients for  4  Servings

• 400g

  Lean chuck or braising beef, coarsely minced
• 60g

  Unsmoked pancetta, finely chopped
• 150ml

  Red wine
• 150ml

  Beef stock
• 150ml

  Whole milk
• 1

  Small onion, very finely chopped
• 1

  Carrot, very finely chopped
• 1

  Celery stick, very finely chopped
• 1

  Garlic clove
• 2 tbsp

  Tomato purée
• 60g

  Butter
• 1

  Bay leaf
• 2 Pinches

  Grated nutmeg
• 2 tbsp

  Olive oil
• -

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• To Serve

• -

  Tagliatelle

Approximate Times

• Preparation :

  Less than 30 minutes
• Cooking :

  Over 2 hours

Method

1. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then remove it. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the onion and, when it begins to soften, stir in the carrot, celery and bay. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add the beef, turn the heat up to high and cook until medium-brown and nearly crisp, crumbling it in the pot using a fork. You need a high heat so that the meat browns rather than stews, but be careful not to let it become too brown and hard.
3. Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine, nutmeg and stock. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to very low, so that the mixture reduces very slowly.
4. Set the lid askew over the pan and cook for about 2 hours, adding a couple of tablespoons of milk from time to time. By the end all the milk should have been added and absorbed, and the ragù should be rich with the texture of thick soup.
5. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The ragù is now ready. Boil the tagliatelle and serve with the ragù.