Three Meat Ragu for Pasta
From the Food Network Kitchen's Cookbook
Makes 4 quarts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red peper flakes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
4-28 ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar, plus a pinch if needed
3 tsps kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
Fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces ground beef chuck
4 ounces ground pork
4 ounces ground veal
2 tsps dired rosemary or savory, crumbled
2 tsps dried thyme
2 tsps dried oregano
2 tsps fennel seeds, cracked
2 bay leaves
1 3-inch piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind, plus 1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for 15 seconds. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, 10-15 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, pour tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands.
Stir the garlic into the onion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add all the crushed tomatoes, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Set the pot lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, pork, veal, rosemary, thyme, oregano and fennel seeds. Season with the remaining 2 tsps salt and some pepper to taste. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until it looses its rosy color, about 5 minutes. Stir the meat into the sauce with the bay leaves and cheese rind.
Simmer the sauce, partially covered, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours. If sauce becomes to thick, add some water. Taste and season with salt, pepper and sugar if desired.
Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and the cheese rind and stir in the grated cheese.
**My note: I like to serve this Ragu over Penne pasta. You can serve it over your favorite shape of pasta. For those low carbing, you could serve this over your pasta substitute, perhaps zucchini "noodles" or egg crepes.