The classic Sicilian Ragú is a feast day dish that's tremendously involved; this is a considerably abbreviated version you can prepare when rushed, or when the sauce is to be used as an ingredient, for example with tripe.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours,
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (500 g) ground beef
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 2/3 pound (300 g) plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup well aged dry red wine
- A piece of beef bone with marrow
- A small bunch parsley, minced
- The top of a basil plant (10-15 leaves)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 pound (200 g) freshly shelled peas
- 1/2 teaspoon lard (or oil if need be)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Preparation:
Sauté the beef bone in the lard until the meat is done, and set it aside.Brown the ground meat in a few drops of oil and keep it warm.
In a large pot, sauté the onion and the parsley; when the onion has browned lightly add the tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, bay leaves, and basil. Cook the mixture for about 15 minutes.
Add the beef bone and the ground beef, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add enough water to cover the ground beef (the bone will likely stick up). Cover and simmer, adding the peas after an 1 1/2 hours, together with the sugar. Replace the cover and simmer for another half hour. Remove the bone, and use the beef in the tripe.
The wine? Red, and a Nero D'Avola would be nice.
