Beef

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who made this found the single biggest payoff was building a proper soffritto, pre-cook the vegetables the recipe calls for so they’re soft and flavorful before you move on, and people who left out the celery were happier with the result. A lot of cooks treated garlic as a mistake, those who added it later wished they hadn’t, and the ones who skipped it were glad they did. If you want a softer, creamier finish, some people added a splash of milk, while others avoided milk for a more traditional finish.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 lb (454g) lean ground beef (or sweet Italian sausage)
• 1 lb (454g) sweet Italian sausage (or ground beef)
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup carrot, minced
• 1/4 cup celery, minced
• 6 oz (170g) tomato paste
• 5 clove garlic, minced
• 28 oz (794g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Parsley, chopped
• Basil, chopped
• Oregano, dried or fresh

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables: finely dice the white onion, mince about 1/4 cup carrot and 1/4 cup celery, and mince 5 cloves garlic.
2. Break up 1 pound lean ground beef and 1 pound sweet Italian sausage with a spoon and brown for about 5 minutes.
3. Drain off any excess grease.
4. Add the diced onion and the minced carrot and celery to the browned meat; sautu00e9 until the onions are tender and the meat is cooked through, about 5u20137 minutes.
5. Add 6 ounces tomato paste and the 5 cloves minced garlic and cook until the paste browns, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 1 cup beef broth, 1/2 cup white wine, and 1 cup whole milk. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
7. If using herbs, add chopped parsley, chopped basil, or dried or fresh oregano now.
8. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally (about every 15u201320 minutes), for 1u20134 hours.
9. Serve the finished bolognese over tagliatelle, any pasta shape such as spaghetti, or use it in lasagna.

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe turned out well for most people, but a few things kept tripping cooks up. People who added red pepper found it was a mistake. The ones who left peppers out avoided that problem. Some cooks put in a little brown sugar or vinegar and then regretted it, people warned not to add too much all at once, so taste as you go. If you want a sweeter, crunchier note, some people stirred in a can of corn and liked it, but others advised against corn. Treat corn as an optional tweak, not a must.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 lb (907g) ground sirloin
• White onion (or green onion)
• Bell pepper
• Poblano pepper
• Garlic
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Cumin
• Sugar, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Beer
• Tomato puree
• Diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted diced tomatoes)
• Beef stock (or water)
• Chipotle in adobo (or fresh jalapenos, hot sauce, omit)
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can red beans
• 1 can refried beans (or masa (corn flour))
• Masa
• 1 can creamed corn
• Butternut squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Ground cinnamon
• Chocolate
• Brewed coffee
• Cheese
• Fritos
• Saltine crackers
• Fresh jalapeno
• Green onion
• Hot sauce

book_ribbon Instructions

1. If making ahead: prepare the chili (about 30 minutes) the day before and let it sit overnight to develop flavor.
2. Brown and crumble 2 pounds ground sirloin in a skillet until cooked; remove the meat from the pan.
3. In the same pan or in a Dutch oven, cook the white onion until translucent and softened.
4. Add bell peppers (yellow, orange, or red) and poblano pepper and cook until softened; add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
5. Add seasonings: about a quarter cup chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, a little sugar, and salt and pepper; cook briefly in the fat to bloom the spices.
6. Deglaze the pot with beer, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
7. Add tomato puree and diced tomatoes (use fire-roasted diced tomatoes if desired).
8. Add beef stock (or water) and return the browned meat to the pot.
9. Stir in chipotle in adobo if you want the chili to be spicy (omit if you do not want heat).
10. Add beans: one can kidney beans, one can pinto beans, and one can red beans.
11. Cover the pot and simmer; let cook for at least a few hours.
12. If the chili is too runny, stir in a can of refried beans or add masa (corn flour) to thicken.
13. If the chili is too spicy, add a little sugar or stir in a can of creamed corn to mellow heat.
14. Optionally add butternut squash or sweet potatoes for sweetness and interest.
15. If using a slow cooker, brown the meat and vegetables first before adding them to the slow cooker.
16. Optional flavor variations: add a pinch of cinnamon, a bit of brewed coffee, or a small amount of chocolate to change the flavor profile.
17. Serve topped with desired garnishes such as cheese, Fritos or saltine crackers, green or white onion, fresh jalapeno, and hot sauce.

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe generally turns out well, but people who made it noticed three things that really change the result. First, brown the meat until it’s a deep brown before you add liquids, combining while the meat is still watery or steaming leaves the sauce weak. Second, using a homemade stock or broth instead of plain boiling water gives the sauce noticeably more body. And third, don’t skip seasoning while it cooks: people who omitted salt early found the finished dish flat, and many found seasoning earlier (rather than only at the end) preserved more aroma and flavor.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 onion (or brown onion)
• Red onion (or brown onion)
• 3 stick celery
• 3 carrot
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• 150g tomato paste
• 400g peeled tomato
• 1l Italian passata
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 glass red wine (or white wine)
• 1 mug full cream milk
• 500g pork mince
• 300g beef mince
• 200g veal mince
• Pappardelle, fresh, handmade (or penne, tagliatelle)
• 1l water
• Rock salt, to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place a large pot on the stove and add a good amount of extra virgin olive oil; heat for a few minutes until the oil comes to temperature.
2. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes until it is a little bit golden.
3. Add the carrot and celery and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes to make the soffritto.
4. Add half a glass of red wine (you can use white wine instead) and let it cook off for a few minutes so the alcohol evaporates.
5. Add the pork (500 g), beef (300 g), and veal (200 g) mince; add a little bit of salt and a little bit of pepper, separate the meat pieces while cooking, and continue until the meat turns the classic gray color.
6. When the meat releases liquid and that liquid has mostly evaporated, add the second half of the glass of wine and let it cook off.
7. Add the tomato paste (150 g), the peeled tomato (400 g), and the Italian passata (1 L). Use a little water from the passata bottle to rinse the bottle into the pot and avoid waste, then crush the peeled tomato and mix everything together.
8. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then maintain on very low heat with small bubbles (do not run the fire too strong). Do not cover (optional to cover), allow some evaporation, and let the ragu00f9 cook for about 4 to 5 hours total, checking it periodically and adding hot water as needed to keep the meat moist.
9. Check and taste the ragu00f9 after about 1 hour; adjust with a little more salt or pepper as needed. If the ragu00f9 becomes too dry (as around 2 hours in), add hot water u2014 the cook suggests adding about 0.5 L and then checking again in about an hour u2014 and continue to simmer.
10. About half an hour before serving (when the sauce is nice and thick), add the full cream milk (add the stated milk amount) and return the ragu00f9 to the stove; stir and heat for another 4 or 5 minutes to smooth the milk into the sauce.
11. Meanwhile, boil 1 L of water for the pasta; when the water boils add a generous handful of rock salt, then add the fresh pappardelle and cook until done. Reserve some pasta cooking water, then strain the pasta.
12. Add some ragu00f9 to a frying pan, add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce in the bottom, add a little reserved pasta cooking water to help combine, toss over heat so the pasta absorbs the sauce, and add more ragu00f9 on top as desired.
13. Serve the pasta with extra Parmigiano Reggiano grated on top if desired.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 lb (454g) 80/20 ground beef
• 1 lb (454g) ground pork (or ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken)
• 1 box Boursin Garlic and Herbs
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced (or red bell pepper, green bell pepper)
• 1/2 onion, large, diced
• Avocado oil
• 1-2 tbsp garlic paste (or fresh garlic, minced garlic)
• All-purpose seasoning, to taste
• Smoked paprika
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• Crushed red pepper
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2-2 cup bread crumbs (or Parmesan-flavored breadcrumbs, Italian-style breadcrumbs, plain breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (or spicy brown mustard)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Chop about 1/4 cup parsley and roughly dice 1 bell pepper and 1/2 large onion so the pieces are about the same size.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add a little avocado oil, then add the diced onions and bell pepper and sautu00e9 about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and tender.
3. After 1 to 2 minutes of cooking the vegetables, add 1 to 2 tablespoons garlic paste and some all-purpose seasoning, sweat the mixture until tender, then transfer the vegetables to the refrigerator and let them cool before adding to the meat.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 pound 80/20 ground beef and 1 pound ground pork; mix by hand until combined.
6. Add the chilled sautu00e9ed vegetables, 1 box Boursin Garlic and Herbs cheese, and 2 tablespoons sour cream to the meat; mix to combine.
7. Season the meat mixture with smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, all-purpose seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and the chopped parsley.
8. Add 2 beaten eggs as a binder, then add 1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs a little at a time, working the mixture by hand until it holds together (it should form into one large cohesive mass).
9. Place the mixed meat in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes to firm up and take shape.
10. Remove the mixture, shape it into a loaf by hand (or place in a loaf pan if desired), and season the outside with a little all-purpose seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
11. Transfer the shaped loaf to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and bake in the preheated 375u00b0F oven for about 45 minutes.
12. While the meatloaf bakes, make the sauce: whisk together 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste, about 1/4 cup brown sugar, a little smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and optional onion or garlic powder; warm and taste-adjust as needed.
13. After about 45 minutes of baking, brush a thick layer of the warm sauce over the top of the meatloaf and return to the oven for a final 20 to 30 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize (total cook time is about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 20, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
14. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes before slicing so juices redistribute.
15. Slice and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

crowdsource Community Insights

This lasagna tests out best when you give the big components a little time. People who made the ragu a day ahead liked how it tightened up and made assembly easier, and it becomes simpler to store once chilled. A lot of folks learned the hard way that putting hot or warm pans straight into the fridge or freezer warmed the fridge or left the pasta gummy, which is why people let things cool before storing. If you want to freeze for quick meals, freeze the sauce or portioned leftovers, because freezing an already-assembled lasagna often leaves the pasta mushy.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Ragu

• Carrot, brunoise
• Onion, brunoise
• Celery, brunoise
• 4 clove garlic
• Parmesan rind
• 500g beef mince, 80/20
• 500g pork mince, reasonably high fat
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp rendered meat fat, from cooked mince
• Salt, to taste
• Red wine (or stock, water)
• Tomato passata
• 100ml milk

Pasta dough

• 3 egg
• 320g 00 flour
• Spinach, baby spinach (or omit (skip spinach for plain pasta))
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Béchamel & finishing

• Butter
• Plain flour
• 100-150ml milk
• 1/8 whole nutmeg nutmeg, freshly grated
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan, freshly grated
• Basil leaves

book_ribbon Instructions

Ragu

1. Trim, peel and brunoise the carrots; brunoise the onions and celery.
2. Heat a Dutch oven on high, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat until smoking.
3. Break 500 gram beef mince into small pieces and brown in two batches: season with salt, let sit and brown for about 8 to 10 minutes before chopping/stirring to brown all sides; remove and set aside.
4. Repeat browning with remaining beef mince and then with the 500 gram pork mince; set all browned meat aside.
5. Pour out excess fat from the pot, keeping some; add about 1 tablespoon of the fat back to the pan.
6. Add carrots and a little pinch of salt and sweat for a couple of minutes, then add onions and sweat for about 2 minutes, then add celery and garlic and continue to sweat until softened.
7. Return the browned meat to the pot and stir to combine.
8. Add red wine and reduce for about 5 to 6 minutes to burn off harsh alcohol (use a full-bodied red); if not using wine, replace with stock or water.
9. Add tomato passata, a little water to get the passata out of the container if needed, and add the Parmesan rind.
10. Bring to a very slow simmer and cook gently, ideally for up to 6 hours, or for 2 to 4 hours if shorter; stir every 20 to 30 minutes and scrape down the sides.
11. Before assembling, remove and discard the Parmesan rind, stir in 100 milliliter milk, then transfer the ragu to a shallow tray to cool quickly (about an hour in the fridge or less in the freezer) and chill until ready to assemble.

Pasta dough and sheets

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
2. If making verde pasta: blanch the baby spinach in the boiling water until it comes back to the surface, drain, rinse under cold water, then plunge into ice water; drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Put the drained spinach into a blender with the 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon olive oil and blend until very smooth, starting low then finishing at high speed; avoid over-blending to prevent cooking the eggs.
4. On a clean bench, pile 320 gram 00 flour and make a well; add the egg-spinach mixture (or just whisked eggs if not using spinach) and incorporate the flour slowly with a fork without breaking the outer wall of the well.
5. Use a bench scraper to bring the dough together, then knead on the bench for about 5 to 6 minutes until smooth and elastic; shape into a square, wrap in cling film or a zip-top bag and rest in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours or overnight (bring to room temperature for about an hour before rolling if rested overnight).
6. Roll the dough by folding (envelope fold) and passing through a pasta machine starting on the thickest setting, fold and pass again, cut in half if necessary, dust lightly with flour and cover with a tea towel as you work.
7. Continue passing the dough through the machine progressively thinner until you reach the desired thickness (the video uses the second-to-thinnest setting).
8. Cook each pasta sheet one at a time in the boiling salted water for about 45 seconds, remove and immediately transfer to ice cold water to stop cooking, drain and lay in a tray; repeat for all sheets and trim to the size of your lasagna dish when assembling.

Béchamel

1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add plain flour and whisk to form a blond roux; keep the heat at medium and cook the flour without browning.
2. Season the roux with salt.
3. Add milk in increments of about 100 to 150 milliliter at a time, whisking after each addition until the milk is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and lump-free; do not add all the milk at once.
4. Once all the milk is incorporated, whisk over medium heat until the sauce thickens to a consistency that will coat the back of a spoon but is not overly stiff.
5. Remove from heat and season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg (about an eighth of a whole nutmeg); taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Keep the béchamel warm, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming, until ready to assemble.

Assembly and baking

1. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius.
2. Make sure the meat sauce is not ice cold (room temperature is ideal); divide the meat sauce roughly into five portions for even layering.
3. Spread the first portion of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of your lasagna dish.
4. Lay a pasta sheet over the sauce, trimming or folding the edges as needed so the dish is mostly covered with minimal overlap.
5. Drizzle some béchamel over the pasta sheet, add a restrained amount of torn or sliced mozzarella and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.
6. Repeat layering (meat sauce, pasta sheet, béchamel, mozzarella, Parmesan) until you have five pasta layers; on the top (final) pasta layer, use plain tomato passata instead of meat sauce and spread it across the top.
7. Cover the assembled lasagna with foil and bake at 180° Celsius for about 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Remove the foil, arrange basil leaves on top, sprinkle more Parmesan and mozzarella, then bake at 180° Celsius until golden brown; if not browning after 10 to 12 minutes, use the oven grill (broiler) function and watch closely.
9. Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g lean minced beef
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 300ml boiling water
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 square dark chocolate
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Finely chop one medium onion.
2. Roughly chop four cloves of garlic.
3. Deseed and dice one red bell pepper.
4. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based pan until hot.
5. Fry the onions in the hot oil over medium heat until soft and lightly colored.
6. Add the garlic and diced red pepper and cook, stirring, over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
7. Add one teaspoon ground cinnamon, one teaspoon smoked paprika, one teaspoon chili powder, and one teaspoon ground cumin; stir and allow the spices to infuse over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
8. Add 500 grams lean minced beef, increase the heat to high, break the mince up and keep it moving until the meat is browned but not releasing liquid.
9. Stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste and mix well.
10. Add a 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes, one beef stock cube, and 300 milliliters of boiling water; turn the heat up until it boils a little.
11. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook, checking in between, for 20 minutes.
12. Rinse a tin of pre-cooked kidney beans and stir them through the chili.
13. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more chili, salt, pepper, or other spices if needed.
14. Add two squares of dark chocolate (optional) and leave to cook with the lid on for a further 10 minutes.
15. Check seasoning again, then remove from the heat.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes out well for most people, but a few practical things kept tripping cooks up. If you plan to smoke it, don’t leave plastic wrap on, people who did that had problems, so remove any wrap before putting it in the smoker. Also, people who hand-formed their loaves found that if the loaf won’t hold its shape, the mixture is too wet, so shape gently and be ready to firm it up. And don’t forget basic hygiene: wash your hands and don’t keep touching other surfaces or utensils with the same gloves after handling raw meat.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 3 lb (1361g) ground chuck
• 1 lb (454g) breakfast sausage
• 1 onion, diced, large
• 4 slice white bread, cubed
• 1/4-1/2 cup milk
• 2 egg
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (or your favorite barbecue sauce)
• 1/4 cup Meat Church Womp Sauce (or your favorite barbecue sauce)
• 1/4 cup Fireshire
• 2 tbsp All-Purpose Holy Gospel seasoning (or salt, black pepper)
• Worcestershire sauce

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Cube 4 slices white bread and soak with 1/4u20131/2 cup milk; let sit up to 10 minutes (recipe says 10 minutes) while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In a bowl combine 3 pounds ground chuck (80/20) and 1 pound breakfast sausage.
3. Add the diced large onion, the soaked bread (including any remaining milk), and 2 eggs to the meat.
4. Add 1/2 cup total barbecue sauce (the video uses half Meat Church Womp Sauce and half Fireshire Worcestershire u2014 1/4 cup each) and about 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Holy Gospel (garlic and herb) seasoning; mix very thoroughly.
5. Pack the mixture into a 9x13 loaf pan, pressing to fill corners and shape the loaf(s). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about four hours, until firm.
6. Remove the loaf(s) from the pan and peel off the plastic wrap.
7. Optionally brush or rub additional Worcestershire sauce on the exterior as a binder, then season the outside with All-Purpose Holy Gospel or your preferred seasoning.
8. Place the loaf(s) on an offset smoker (post oak, middle scale) set near 250 degrees Fahrenheit (225u2013250u00b0F is acceptable). Smoke until internal temperature reaches 165u00b0F (from experience this takes about four hours; the video cooked to 160u00b0F allowing carryover to ~165u00b0F).
9. Heat additional barbecue sauce and glaze the meatloaf after it reaches temperature.
10. Let the meatloaf rest/cool for about 15 minutes, then slice and serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this usually ended up with a straightforward, satisfying sauce, but a few choices kept tripping people up. The cooks who added rosemary found it overpowered the dish, so most avoided it. Adding stock was another thing that tended to dilute the result, people who skipped stock liked the cleaner flavor. And a practical finishing move lots of people used was not rinsing the pasta and saving a cup of the cooking water; those who did that found the sauce clings and comes together much better. In short, keep it simple and save the pasta water.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Tagliatelle
• Minced veal, very finely minced
• Minced pork, coarsely minced
• 100g pancetta, sofrito, softened
• 1 carrot, sofrito, softened
• 1 onion, sofrito, softened
• 1 stalk celery, sofrito, softened
• Red wine
• Tomato concentrate, diluted with stock
• Stock (or chicken stock, vegetable stock)
• Pasta water
• Parmesan, grated

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Prepare a sofrito of celery, carrot, onion and pancetta and soften it slightly in a pan.
2. Add the minced veal and minced pork to the sofrito and break up the meat in the pan.
3. Seal the meat over heat so that excess water is driven off and the meat browns rather than boils.
4. Add a bit of red wine and stir after adding it.
5. Add tomato concentrate diluted with a little water or stock, and add the rest of the stock.
6. Cover the pan, turn the heat down, and simmer slowly for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
7. Cook the tagliatelle until ready and reserve some pasta cooking water.
8. Warm a small pan, add a little pasta water, then add the cooked tagliatelle to the pan with the ragu.
9. Toss the pasta and sauce together in the pan so the pasta grabs the flavors and the sauce sticks to the pasta.
10. Turn off the heat, add a little more pasta water if needed, grate Parmesan over the pasta, and serve.

crowdsource Community Insights

The sauce turns out reliably tasty, but people who made it noticed a few small things that change the result. People who left out garlic and parsley were happier with the final flavor, so many simply left them out. People who salted at every stage, seasoning as they went, found the sauce more balanced. The cooks who cooked the ground meat first, browning it gently, draining excess oil and keeping the heat moderate, ended up with a cleaner, more consistent sauce. Those three tweaks are what most people found made the difference.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Carrot, quartered
• Celery, halved and sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb (680g) ground beef (or ground turkey, ground pork, mushrooms, tofu)
• 1 cup dry white wine (or red wine, beef broth)
• 28 oz (794g) whole peeled tomatoes, canned, whole peeled
• 6 oz (170g) tomato paste, canned
• 1-2 bay leaf
• 1 cup whole milk (or half and half, heavy cream)
• 1 lb (454g) pappardelle or tagliatelle (or any other pasta)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Chili powder
• Parmesan
• Parsley

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Chop the carrot, celery, and onion into smaller uniform pieces (carrot quartered; celery halved and sliced; onion chopped).
2. Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat until the oil shimmers.
3. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
4. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, stirring; if the pot is extremely hot, briefly remove it from the heat before adding garlic to avoid burning.
5. Add 1.5 pounds ground beef, break it up, and brown over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
6. Add 1 cup dry white wine (or 1 cup red wine or 1 cup beef broth), scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze, and let the liquid cook briefly to burn off the alcohol.
7. Stir in a 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes (break them up by hand or with a spoon), add a 6 ounce can of tomato paste, and stir to combine.
8. Add 1u20132 bay leaves.
9. Reduce heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
10. Uncover and simmer an additional hour or until the sauce is thickened, checking consistency and giving more time if needed.
11. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
12. While finishing the sauce, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt liberally (the recipe suggests at least 1 tablespoon), and cook 1 pound of pasta (pappardelle or tagliatelle) until al dente; you may undercook slightly because it will finish cooking in the sauce.
13. Stir 1 cup whole milk into the sauce and warm on the lowest heat so the milk heats through.
14. Taste the sauce and stir in 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper; optionally add chili powder to taste.
15. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and gently stir to coat the pasta with the sauce.
16. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley before serving.
17. Store the Bolognese sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (recommended to store separate from pasta); freeze the sauce (without pasta) for up to 3 months.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this liked the flavor, but what trips folks up is texture and under- or over-seasoning. Mix the non-meat ingredients together first, then gently fold in the ground beef, those who overmixed ended up with a denser loaf. Cook the onions beforehand so they soften and lose any sharp raw bite; people who skipped that sometimes noticed raw onion in the finished loaf. If you want to be sure on seasoning, fry a tiny patty and taste it before shaping the whole loaf, the cooks who did that adjusted salt and spices and were happier with the result.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 2 1/2 lb (1134g) ground chuck (or ground turkey)
• 1 cup bread crumbs, coarse
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 2 clove garlic, grated (or garlic powder)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, leaves only (or dried thyme)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Mushroom Gravy

• 6 tbsp pan drippings (or butter (use 1 tablespoon butter per tablespoon of missing drippings))
• 1 lb (454g) mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or omit)
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cup low-sodium beef stock
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, leaves only (or dried thyme)

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and position the rack in the middle.
2. If using fresh or day-old bread, pulse it in a food processor or use store-bought coarse breadcrumbs; combine breadcrumbs with the milk to hydrate if desired.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chuck and spread it out; sprinkle 2 teaspoons kosher salt over the meat in stages to avoid concentrating salt in one spot.
4. Add the hydrated breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, minced onion, grated garlic, Worcestershire sauce, minced parsley, fresh thyme leaves, and black pepper to the meat.
5. Mix the ingredients together gently by hand until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
6. Shape the mixture into a loaf in a baking dish, smoothing and pressing so the loaf is an even size all around.
7. Bake the meatloaf at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the center reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, checking progress (examples given: ~130u00b0F at 50 minutes, ~140u00b0F at 60 minutes); total time will be roughly 50u201370 minutes (actual cook in video was 1 hour 10 minutes).
8. Remove the meatloaf and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing to allow it to solidify and for juices to settle.
9. Spoon off about six tablespoons of pan drippings from the meatloaf; if you have less fat, make up the difference with butter (1 tablespoon butter per tablespoon of missing drippings).
10. While the meatloaf rests, make the mushroom gravy: use a pan with a lip (or the roasting pan) and set over medium heat; add the pan drippings and spread the sliced mushrooms in a single layer to sear.
11. Leave the mushrooms undisturbed for about three minutes to develop color, stir and continue cooking until they release liquid and brown; adjust heat up if necessary.
12. If using, add the half cup dry white wine and turn the heat to high (about an 8 of 10) to reduce most of the wine and concentrate the flavor.
13. Sprinkle the six tablespoons of flour over the mushrooms and drippings, mix until incorporated and the flour takes on a little color (cook out the raw flour flavor).
14. Turn the heat up to bring the mixture to a boil, then add the three cups low-sodium beef stock and bring briefly to a boil before lowering to a simmer.
15. Add the fresh thyme (leaves or stems as preferred) and simmer the gravy for about five minutes until thickened; to thicken further, increase heat and reduce; to thin, add water a quarter cup at a time.
16. Season the gravy with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
17. Serve the sliced meatloaf topped with the mushroom gravy.