Spaghetti and Meat Sauce - Alton Brown
"Taken from Brown's _Good Eats_ episode "American Classics: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce." He insists on freshly ground meat from whole cuts, so you know exactly what you're getting; he has the butcher grind it for him, but you can do it yourself if you have the equipment. Be sure to use a WHITE wine for the sweetness and bright acidity; a red will tend to get astringent with this kind of cooking."
photo by mfjleahy
- Ready In:
- 5hrs 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 27
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 whole star anise
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1⁄2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, ground coarse
- 1⁄2 lb boneless pork butt, ground coarse
- 1 1⁄4 cups white wine, divided
- 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3⁄4 cup evaporated milk
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1⁄2 lb spaghetti
- 1⁄3 cup grated parmesan cheese
directions
- Set an 8 qt cast iron Dutch oven over low heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate.
- Add onion, salt and pepper to fat in pot. Place star anise and cloves in a small cotton spice bag (or wrap in cheesecloth); lay the flat of a chef's knife across the spices and smash your fist on the blade to crack them (or use a mallet). Add the spice bag to the pot as well. Cook over low heat until onions break down and caramelize, about 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Place a 4 qt saute pan over high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When oil begins to emit wisps of smoke, add beef and pork. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes until the meat is brown and broken into small chunks. Transfer to a colander set over a bowl. Return the saute pan to the high heat.
- Deglaze saute pan with 1/2 cup white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When wine has reduced by half, turn off the heat.
- When onions are mahogany brown, add celery and minced garlic. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, until intensely fragrant. Remove and discard the spice bag.
- Add the meat and reduced wine to Dutch oven. Add another 1/2 cup white wine, evaporated milk and beef broth. Add porcinis. Cook very slowly over low heat, covered, for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to saute pan and heat until shimmering over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and saute until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Add tomatoes (with any juice in the cans), along with oregano, marjoram and basil. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates, 25-30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add tomato paste, ketchup, sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup white wine. Simmer 30 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to tomatoes and turn heat up to medium high. Stir vigorously and constantly for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Continue to simmer over low heat, uncovered, while preparing pasta.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a deep, narrow pot. Add salt. Add spaghetti when water is at a rolling boil. Stir for a few minutes to minimize sticking, then reduce heat to keep a steady but not violent boil. Start checking after 5 minutes; the pasta should be not-quite al dente; there should still be a little crunch in the center. Drain the pasta and add to the meat sauce, along with parmesan cheese. Cook another 4-5 minutes until pasta is al dente.
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Reviews
-
This is the real thing.... well worth the time and effort. So if you feel you would like to have a real classic "Bolognese sauce" this is the one for you. You will also get the side benefit of being able to split it up into containers and freeze for later use when you need something quick. So that all said I have to admit I do have my own Kitchenaid Mixer Mincer attachment so I do look for great Beef Chuck and Boston Butt (Shoulder). I like to use the wider mincer attachment when grinding the meat , plus I do use at least 1 lb of each. Why not?<br/><br/>The rest is easy just follow the Recipe.... I will take time to prepare so shop for your ingredients in advance and set aside the the time to cook this........ I check taste as I proceed, I prefer a little more sweetness so I do add a 1-2 Tbs of brown sugar to up the sweetness of the tomato side..... -
I invested an entire afternoon with this, followed the directions carefully and was a bit disappointed. The sauce was ok...not amazing, not fabulous....NOT worth the time spent making it
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
DrGaellon
New Rochelle, 0
I'm a 48 y/o gay Jewish man in the suburbs immediately north of New York City. I'm a general internist, practicing and teaching at a medical college north of NYC. I also earned a Masters in Public Health degree in 2013.
After a Walt Disney World trip in Dec 2006 where I had to rent an electric scooter because I couldn't manage the walking, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, which was done Feb 28, 2007. I lost 160 lbs (though I've gained back about 60 of that since). I can't eat as much as I used to, so I want every bite to be extra good!
