L'Italo-Americano

Back to Basics: Battuto and Bolognese THURSDAY, MAY 26 ,2016 www.italoamericano.org 17 L'Italo-Americano G rowing up, I remember s i t t i n g a t t h e k i t c h e n t a b l e o n a w e e k e n d morning watching as my mother chopped mounds of onion, cel- e r y a n d c a r r o t s t o b e g i n h e r Sunday meat sauce. Soon the a r o m a o f t h e o n i o n g e n t l y sautéing in olive oil had my mouth watering. She patiently waited until the onions had soft- ened to add in the carrots and celery and it was at that point that I was finally allowed to help stir the pot. Little did I know that those humble ingredients w o u l d f o r m t h e b a s i s f o r s o m a n y o f t h e d i s h e s I c o o k today. Nor did I realize that she was making what is called a bat- tuto in Italian. T h e b a t t u t o i s t h e s i m p l e foundation for many Italian dish- es and historically was typically a combination of onion, parsley and lard. Today, onion, celery, carrots and sometimes garlic are typical. Depending on the cook, the region and the recipe, the battuto can change but it is this humble essence that infuses the dish with so much flavor as it a l m o s t m e l t s i n t o t h e b a c k - MICHELE BECCI ground allowing other ingredi- ents to shine through. The bat- tuto becomes a soffritto when the vegetables are gently sautéed i n f a t , u s u a l l y o l i v e o i l o r butter. At times, meats like pancetta can be added. So how do you make a good battuto? Firstly, you want to start by cooking the onion slow- ly over medium or medium low heat. This will allow the onion to become translucent and soft, a l m o s t m e l t i n g i n t o t h e f a t . T h e n a d d i n t h e o t h e r chopped vegetables such as the carrot and celery. If the recipe c a l l s f o r p a n c e t t a , s a u t é t h e onion and pancetta together over medium low heat, allowing the fat to render from the meat and soften the onion. Be sure to keep the heat low so as to not brown the vegetables. Allow them to simmer slowly, keeping an eye out to ensure they are not cooking to quickly. So what to make once you practice making that soffritto? How about a tasty, soul-satisfy- ing Bolognese to toss over some pasta? There are probably as many versions of this sauce as there are versions of battuti. So b e f o r e I g o f u r t h e r a n d r i s k insulting Italian grandmothers that may disagree, the recipe b e l o w i s m y v e r s i o n o f B o l o g n e s e . Y o u r m o t h e r o r grandmother's version may dif- fer but this is the way my mother m a d e h e r s a n d I c o n t i n u e t o make in my kitchen today. How important is adding the milk? It i s s a i d t o t e n d e r i z e t h e meat. True? Who knows – but I feel good adding it because my mother did. Should I use red or white wine? Mom used whatever was on hand. Did my mother use an immersion blender? Heck no! But I like my Bolognese on t h e s m o o t h s i d e a n d n o t t o o chunky. So feel free to experi- ment or use your version – sim- ply feel good that you now know what that onion, carrot and cel- e r y c o m b i n a t i o n i s a c t u a l l y called. Buon appetito! Bolognese Ragu Ingredients: •1 tablespoon olive oil •1 tablespoon butter 4 ounces pancetta, finely diced •1 large onion, finely chopped •2 carrots, finely chopped •2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped •1 pound ground beef chuck •1 pound ground pork •1 cup whole milk •1 cup dry red or white wine •1 (28-ounce) can imported Italian tomatoes •Kosher salt •Freshly ground black pepper •About ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped plus additional • A b o u t ¼ c u p f r e s h b a s i l , chopped Special Equipment: Immersion blender (optional) Directions: • C o m b i n e t h e o i l , b u t t e r , onion and pancetta in a heavy bottomed pot (such as a Dutch o v e n ) o v e r m e d i u m l o w heat. Gently cook the mixture until the onion is transparent and soft, and the pancetta renders most of its fat. Add the chopped carrot and celery, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Cook until softened. 1. Add the ground beef and pork to the pot. Cook, breaking u p t h e m e a t w i t h a w o o d e n spoon, until the meat is cooked through. 2. Add in the milk and allow to simmer until the milk has almost evaporated. 3. Add in the wine. Allow to simmer until it also has evaporat- ed. Break up the tomatoes, either by hand or using a spoon. Add to the meat. Stir to incorporate. 4. Using an immersion blender (carefully!), blend the mixture in the pot to break up large chunks and incorporate all the ingredi- ents. (You can totally skip this step!) 5. Season with a big sprinkle of salt and a few turns of black pepper. Stir in the chopped basil and parsley. 6. Reduce heat to barely a simmer. Cover with a lid set ajar and simmer the sauce for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add about a ½ cup of water at a time to thin. 7 . W h e n t h e s a u c e i s v e r y thick and flavorful, adjust salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with additional parsley. And pass lots of grated Parmesan on the side! Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurItalianTable.com. LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

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