Bolognese… comfort food to brighten any day

Try it with your favorite base such as:

• gnocchi
• spaghetti squash
• stuffed peppers
• roasted winter vegetables
• over eggs
• or a toothsome hardy pasta of course!

Naylor Family Bolognese

serves 12 or more hungry friends

WHAT

• 2 c chicken bone broth
• 56 oz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 8 oz chicken livers
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb cooked pork shoulder (or raw ground pork)
• 1 lb ground veal (or lamb)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz uncooked bacon
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 4 ribs celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried sage)
• 1/2 c fresh parsley (or 1 TBSP dried parsley)
• 1 c dry red wine
• 1 c whole milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 c heavy cream
• 4 oz grated parmesan cheese
• 1 TBSP fish sauce (optional)
• 1 c grated parmesan cheese

HOW

1. Move oven rack to the lower third. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Using a food processor or blender, first puree the tomatoes until smooth. Set aside in a bowl. Without washing the bowl, pulse bacon until fully minced and set aside. Then puree chicken livers until smooth and set aside in a separate bowl.
3. In a large oven-proof pot on the stovetop, saute minced bacon over medium heat until fully cooked and crispy. About 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon bits and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Leave bacon grease in the pot. 
4. To the pot, add celery, onions and carrots. Continue to saute over medium heat until translucent. About 6 to 8 minutes. Stir often.
5. Add garlic, sage and parsley. Saute for one minute, stirring well.
6. Add beef, pork and veal. Saute until no longer pink, breaking up into small chunks while stirring. Another 6 to 8 minutes.
7. When no longer pink, add pureed chicken livers and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
8. Add wine and stock and bring back to a simmer. Stir in milk and bay leaves.
9. Place the entire pot into the oven without a lid. You can put it on a baking sheet to catch any potential spills.
10. Cook in the oven for 3 1/2 hours (do not open the door) until the liquid has reduced significantly and the sauce is rich and thick. You may have a heavy layer of fat at the top depending on your choice of lean or fatty meats.
11. Carefully remove from the oven and place on heatproof surface. You will have a beautiful dark “skin” on the top of your bolognese. Skim off any excess fat. 

1. Slowly stir in fish sauce, parmesan and heavy cream.
2. Taste and adjust salt and pepper only if needed.
3. Serve over your favorite base sprinkled with additional parmesan cheese.

TIPS

• The fish sauce adds a unique depth and richness to the dish, thanks to Chef Kenji Lopez for opening my eyes there! Trust me you want this ingredient!
• Plan on freezing leftovers unless you have a herd of hungry mouths to feed. This makes a lot of sauce and freezes well. Freezing makes it worth the extra effort. Make it once, enjoy it several times.
• Yes, you can freeze it with the heavy cream. But you’re welcome to freeze it before adding cream. Simply thaw, heat until simmering and add cream before serving.
• Oh right! I almost forgot! The cooked bacon is great on a side salad!

Wisdom from comfort food… and from dad

Why me? Why us? What kind of person? Ever find yourself stuck here? Yeah let’s take a look at that for a moment.

There were times during childhood when what little we had was threatened. Either we didn’t have enough money for food or clothing, or we were alienated because we were different and it didn’t feel safe out there. As a child, it all feels the same…something bad is going to happen. Protect. Protect. Protect. And yet, dad woke up every morning and asked us to give no matter what. He gave when everything seemed futile. He smiled when we all wanted to cry. And he would breath in deep, as if calling on some unseen source of strength…some celestial origin of truth. He’d calmly, firmly say “no matter how little you think you have, you always have something to give.”

Fast forward to today. Everyone has moments gripped by fear of failure, retraumatization, shame, guilt and worthlessness, it may feel like falling down a well. Yet from the bottom of the well, we can find hope in the wisdom of those words.

“No matter how little you think you have, you always have something to give.”

As a child I thought he was talking about material things. Now I get it. Time and love provide the wisdom and purpose vital to survival. Can we learn to love through betrayal? Can we practice kindness to fight our inner pessimist? 

Creating a meal for comfort, inviting someone in and spending time together…here is what I can give today. Breathe in deep, call on your unseen source of strength…some celestial origin of truth, and cook.