Ingredients
2 0z. finely diced Pancetta
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
2 tbsp. of unsalted butter
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground port
1 lb ground Italian Sausage, Mild or Sweet
1/8 tsp. of ground clove, freshly ground if possible
1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon, freshly ground if possible
1/2 tsp. of ground pepper, freshly ground if possible
4 cups of Tomato Sauce
3/4 cup of whole milk
sea salt to taste
Method
To make the soffritto, combine pancetta, onion, celery, and carrot in a 5 to 6 quart Dutch Oven or large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion turns a pale gold.
Add the beef, port, and sausage to the soffrito, and increase heat to high; cook until browned. Sprinkle with the clove, cinnamon, and pepper.
Stir in tomato sauce, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add milk and season with sea salt. Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 – 2-1/2 hours. Stir at least every 20 minutes. Whenever the sauce gets too dry and starts sticking to the pan, just add 1/4 cup of water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
A Plate Full 