Ragu

World Cup, Day 3 - Italy

Ragu

Day 3 of the World Cup. Day 2 proved a shock as Spain were hammered by a fresh looking Dutch side and refereeing errors almost denied Mexico a win. The paella went down a treat with all the family (you can't have paella for two!). Today's menu was more difficult. I love Italian food. I cook Italian several times a week, so what to choose? I settled on a ragu (meat sauce). In Ireland we know this as 'bolognese sauce' but that's just one type of ragu. This is my version - the 'Kinneagh Kitchen Ragu'.

The most important thing with a ragu is a strong meaty flavour. Lamb's liver gives a robustness while the roasted bones raise it another level. I usually add chopped kidney too but somebody raided the butchers before I got there! It's important to let it cook for at least 2 hours to allow all the flavours to develop.

Serves 4

500g Raw Bones (Beef or Lamb)
2 tsp Dried Oregano
5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 small Carrot (finely chopped)
100g Lamb's Liver (diced)
250g Beef Mince
250g Pork Mince
200ml Red Wine (Chianti if possible)
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 tin of San Marzano Tomatoes (or good plum tomatoes)
3 ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
50 ml Milk
400g Dried Tagliatelle Pasta
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese to serve

1. Place raw bones onto a baking tray. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and 1 tsp of the oregano. Rub all over the bones and roast in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli, celery and carrot. Season well and cook for 7-10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add liver and mince and brown all over. Season and add the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and cook for 5-7 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the tomato puree and let it sit for 1 minute before stirring well.

3. Meanwhile chop the tinned tomatoes and remove any hard tops. Chop off the top of the ripe tomatoes and dice. Add all the tomatoes including the juice from the tin to the pan and bring to the boil. Season and add the roasted bones, the remaining 1 tsp of oregano and bay leaf. Stir well, turn down the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add some boiling water if it gets too dry.

4. Approx. 10 minutes from the end, bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pan. Add approx. 20g of salt and return to the boil before adding the pasta. Stir and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside. Remove the bones and bay leaf from the ragu and add milk. Stir well before tipping in the pasta. Mix everything together before serving with gratings of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top.