My Take on Bolognese Sauce

I've spent the better part of 2020 trying to figure out the best combination for bolognese while staying true to the spirit of the traditional recipe. Over the years, I've adapted this recipe to meet what ingredients we've had in our pantry (always using the carrot, celery and onion soffritto though)and hit a stride in the consistency of flavor and "omg" factor. I think it's pretty good. 

INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS: 
4 carrots, 4 celery, 1 whole yellow or white onion (you're looking for even parts for all, they should be minced and diced pretty finely or use food processor or meat grinder for finer chop) 
3-5 cloves garlic minced
bacon or pancetta - approx 4-6 slices minced (maybe about 1/3 C full) 
1lb ground beef, 1/2lb ground pork (sub with any turkey, chicken, pork or even cooked lentils)
1 C whole milk or half and half (can also use unflavored soy or almond milk) 
beef or vegetable bouillon 
4-6 TBSP tomato paste (always to taste) 
4-6 TBSP of balsamic vinegar on hand (always to taste) 
1/2C Mirin (or white wine if you can't find Mirin, hint Asian foods aisle or store!)
olive oil, salt, pepper, water
optional: burrata for decoration :) 

Start by cooking pancetta or bacon with some olive oil. Once halfway cooked, add vegetables (adding more olive oil as needed) and cook until onion are fragrant and translucent. Once translucent, add about 1C water (or enough water to cover veggies) and cover and simmer until veggies are soft and water is mostly if not all cooked out. In a separate pan, begin to brown the meat. Once browned and some fond develops, remove from heat and drain meat into colander along with the cooked vegetables. Drain excess oil and fat and then combine all veggie and meat back into large pot. Deglaze or simply add the mirin. Add bouillon and one cup of water, then add tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Cover then let simmer for 20 mins (ensure there is enough water to cover all the veggie/meat before simmering). After 20 mins, add the half and half, stir well and let simmer for another 30 mins to up to 2 hours (may need to add more water so it doesn’t burn). Most liquid should be cooked off after 30 mins. Add more milk if too dry and add more balsamic to taste (or salt and pepper). 

Serve with tagliatelle or another flat noodle or wide pasta. Top with burrata, cracked pepper for a true IG moment. 

Bolognese During a Pandemic

Variations: I've made this bolognese sauce with all sorts of modifications including the use of pork, turkey, beef or chicken only, creating a vegan version with lentils and cashew cream, and substituting soy or almond milk. It all tastes wonderful. My key ingredients are the soffritto (very traditional) and balsalmic vinegar (not traditional). The important thing to remember is that you should make this your own. Bolognese is very forgiving and it's easy to add and subtract as you like!