Best Ever Bolognese Sauce

Every time I make this Bolognese Sauce I always get a request for the recipe. I owe this recipe to a good friend of mine Jess as she has been waiting over a year for me to get my butt into gear to send this or post it on my blog. I have been meaning to but have been waiting to put a pic up with it but everytime I forget to take a pic after I've cooked it.

Recently another friend has requested for it and I thought, "Right! Let's get it done". I first tasted the most delicious meat sauce that a friend of mine in Sydney used in his lasagne. I can't remember where he got the recipe from but he was kind enough to write it down for me. Although the recipe only calls for cooking it for 45 minutes, I tend to cook it for a minimum of 2 on a low simmer. I find that this really allows the tomatoes to infuse into the sauce and release it's wonderful rich deep red colour.

I would cut out any excess fat from the pancetta (or bacon if you can't find pancetta) as the sauce yields a lot of oil from the butter, oil and whatever fat is in your mince. I also (when I have them) substitute 2 tomaotes for 1 can of diced tomato. I find it gives a fresher flavour.

Ingredients:

60g Butter
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Celery stick, finely chopped
1 Carrot, diced
50g Pancetta diced
500g Minced beef
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Oregano (can substitute with dried)
1 Cup Red Wine
2 Cups Beef stock
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes


Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, celery and carrot, and cook stirring over low heat for 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to high, add the pancetta, beef and oregano, and cook for 45 minutes or until browned. Use a fork to break up any lumps. Pour in the wine, reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until it is absorbed. Add the stock, tomato paste and tinned tomatoes, and season well. Cover with a lid and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Uncover and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve on al dente pasta and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

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The Spice Table - Restaurant Review

I know I have been woefully neglect in posting. I have had posts in my head but have not had the time to actually get it up! I have been on holiday and I have started another blog dedicated to my baking journey (www.buttersugarcream.com) which has taken a lot of my time to getting together.

As a first post back from a break, I would like to do a restaurant review of The Spice Table at Itaewon. This place opened in the Spring (if i'm not mistaken) and claims to do Vietnamese, Malaysian and Thai cuisine. After talking about going there, my OH and I finally did one Sunday afternoon.

Located opposite Los Amigos, you head up a tall set of stairs next to the Ramen shop. The interior is gently lit with warm wall lights and you are greeted by a tall wall of wine bottles as you enter. The floor has that unfinished industrial feel complimented with the heavy duty iron chandelier.

The menu has a reasonable selection of entrees and mains. I love my desserts and the fact that I can't remember their dessert selection says something. I ordered the Vietnamese Beef Noddles in an Oxtail Broth and my OH went for the Red Curry Fried Rice.

I must say I really enjoyed my Vietnamese Pho. The soup was cloudy with flavour and really made you want to keep slurping it down. The noodles were just the right texture and firmness. Soft but not to the point of being sloppy everywhere. They could have done with some Thai mint which would have made the dish perfect. It was the best pho I have had so far in Korea.

The Red Curry Fried Rice was full of flavour though a little dry. Could have used with a bit curry. We went back there with some friends a few weeks later and what was funny was when I called to make the reservation, they reconfirmed with me that I was calling "The Spice Table which is an Asian Fusion restaurant". I figured that they had some customers who made reservations but were surprised to find themselves not at The Spice (the new fine dining restaurant by Edward Kwon, also in Itaewon) but at The Spice Table.

Our friends agreed that the food was reasonably good and wouldn't mind going back there. The next time I go, I must ask them which was the Malaysian dish as I could not pick one dish out that was 'Malaysian'.

The Spice Table
02 796 0509