Bolognese Beef Sauce

Bolognese Beef Sauce

Ingredients
1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef
6 oz (170 g) pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1 tsp (5 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
1 28 oz can (796 mL can) whole tomatoes
1 28 oz can (796 mL can) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) red wine
1 bay leaf
1 pinch granulated sugar
1/4 cup (45 mL) chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
In a large Dutch oven, saute beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat.

Add pancetta, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, salt, pepper and fennel seeds; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.

Add milk; simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, wine, bay leaf and sugar, breaking up tomatoes with potato masher. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened and mixture can mound on spoon, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate, uncovered, in airtight container until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)

Tags: bay leaf, beef, carrots, celery, fennel seeds, garlic, ground beef, milk, onion, pancetta, parsley, red wine, sugar, thyme, tomatoes