classic bolognese

EMERIL LIVE SHOW #EMIB13, FOOD OF EMILIA ROMAGNA, ITALY Bologna's ragu is the most famous in Italy. According to the Bologna chapter of Italy's gastronomic society, L'Accademia Italiana della Cucina, this is the most typical and authentic-tasting rendition of the city's famed sauce.

The building of a ragu involves three simple steps: browning the vegetables and meats, reducing flavorful liquids over the browned foods to build up layers of taste, then covering them with liquid and simmering gently until the flavors have blended and the meats are tender. Ragu`s should be rich without being heavy. A ragu is a meat sauce with tomato, it is not a tomato sauce with meat.

Adapted from Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

In a small sauce pot, bring the cream up to a simmer and reduce by ⅓.

About 6 tablespoons of cream should be remaining. In a sauce pot, render the pancetta over medium heat, about 8 minutes, or until almost all the fat is rendered. Stir in the carrots, celery, and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saut‚ the vegetables for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables are translucent. In a mixing bowl, combine the meats. Season the meats with salt and pepper. Increase the heat and stir in the meat. Brown the meat for 5 minutes, or until the meat is medium brown in color. Stir in the wine, garlic and diluted tomato paste, and reduce the heat to very low. Cook partially covered for 2 hours. From time to time stir in a tablespoon or so of the milk, by the end of the two hours the milk should be incorporated.

Stir in the reduced cream. Season with salt and black pepper.

Yield: 4 servings Posted to recipelu-digest by molony on Feb 27, 1998