Lamb

crowdsource Community Insights

This sauce benefits from a couple of small timing choices that people who made this swore by. Most people who made it added a splash of milk at the end, just off the heat, because it softens and rounds the sauce without watering it down. Folks who picked their pasta carefully liked tagliatelle or pappardelle; the rougher surface grabs the sauce better than smoother noodles. And a heads-up: people who threw in a bay leaf (or any herbs) usually found it muddied the flavor, so skipping herbs is the common fix.

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

Sofrito

• Carrots, chopped
• Celery, chopped
• Onion, chopped

Herbs & Oil

• Rosemary, chopped
• Olive oil

Meat & Dairy

• Beef
• Lamb
• Full fat milk

Liquids & Canned

• Wine
• Beef stock
• Tomato paste
• Tinned tomatoes

Pasta & Finish

• Fettuccine (or fresh fettuccine, dry fettuccine)
• Salt, to taste
• Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Pecorino)

book_ribbon Instructions

Sauce

1. Chop the carrots, celery, and onion to make the sofrito.
2. Chop the rosemary.
3. Heat a pan over the heat, add olive oil, then add the chopped rosemary to the oil and let it start to sizzle.
4. Add the sofrito to the pan and soften the vegetables gently; do not let them brown or burn.
5. Add the beef and lamb to the pan and break the meat up with a wooden spoon.
6. When the meat starts to color, pour in the full fat milk.
7. Cook the milk with the meat until the milk is completely evaporated.
8. Add the wine and bubble it for about 2 or 3 minutes.
9. Add beef stock, tomato paste, and tinned (canned) tomatoes to the pan.
10. Let the sauce simmer for 2 hours.

Pasta and Finish

1. Bring salted boiling water and place the fettuccine into it; cook the pasta for about 3 minutes.
2. Do not drain the pasta; transfer the cooked fettuccine directly into the sauce and toss so each strand is coated.
3. Serve a generous portion of pasta on a plate and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano (you can use Pecorino instead).

grocery Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 5 oz (142g) breadcrumbs
• 6 oz (170g) milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 celery, grated
• 1/2 onion, small, halved
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/8 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 lb (1021g) ground chuck

Glaze

• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional / Upgrades

• 8 oz (227g) boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 12 oz (340g) beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 12 oz (340g) pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup store-bought stock (or homemade stock that sets up like gelatin (can be used in place of store-bought stock plus unflavored gelatin))
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 fresh garlic, crushed
• 3 stale artisanal bread, stale, cut into pieces
• 1/4 oz (7g) dried porcini mushrooms, finely chopped or powdered
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 4 oz (113g) buttermilk

book_ribbon Instructions

Basic meatloaf

1. Make the panade: combine 5 ounces breadcrumbs, 6 ounces milk, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder into a paste.
2. Grate vegetables on the large holes of a box grater: 1 medium carrot and 1 medium rib of celery; add 1/2 small onion (you may grate the onion if desired).
3. To the panade add 1/4 cup tomato paste, 1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, 2 large eggs (beaten), and 1/8 cup finely chopped fresh basil; season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper and mix until evenly combined.
4. Add 2.25 pounds ground chuck to the panade and mix until the panade is evenly distributed throughout the meat.
5. Grease a loaf pan generously, press the meat tightly into the pan (packing firmly), then invert the loaf onto a quarter sheet pan (do not line the sheet with parchment paper).
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the inverted, free-standing loaf for 15 minutes.
7. Make the glaze while the loaf bakes: combine 4 ounces tomato paste, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup brown sugar; add a few generous twists of freshly ground black pepper.
8. After the first 15 minutes of baking, brush the glaze over the loaf, return to the oven, and bake 15 more minutes.
9. Brush the loaf with glaze again, then bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Remove the loaf from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Upgraded meatloaf (grind-your-own and gelatinized stock)

1. Trim any silver skin, connective tissue, and excess fat from the boneless leg of lamb (if using) and from beef and pork; cut all meat into 1 inch cubes and spread in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets, then freeze until very firm.
2. Assemble chilled grinder parts and grind each meat separately through a medium plate; weigh to 36 ounces total using 8 ounces lamb, 12 ounces beef, and 12 ounces pork.
3. Make gelatinized stock: pour 1/2 cup store-bought stock into a container and evenly sprinkle 1 packet unflavored gelatin over the top; let dissolve and set aside (use homemade stock that sets up like gelatin instead if available).
4. Saute vegetables: heat 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat, saute finely chopped onion, grated carrots, and grated celery for 3 to 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
5. Add the gelatinized stock to the vegetables, let melt, and simmer until the stock has reduced by about 50%; crush in 2 cloves fresh garlic, cook briefly, then spread the mixture on a sheet pan to cool completely.
6. Make homemade breadcrumbs: process 3 pieces stale artisanal bread (and optionally 0.25 ounce dried porcini mushrooms) to a fine crumb in a food processor or high-powered blender to yield 5 ounces homemade porcini breadcrumbs.
7. Make the panade for the single batch: beat 2 eggs with 4 ounces buttermilk; add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon fish sauce. Add 1/4 cup tomato paste, 1/8 cup fresh basil, 1/4 cup parsley, 5 ounces homemade porcini breadcrumbs, and the cooled sauteed vegetables with gelatinized stock; mix to combine.
8. Add the ground meat mixture and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; knead thoroughly to develop structure.
9. Pack about a quarter of the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased loaf pan to avoid gaps, pile the rest on top, press firmly, then invert onto a heavily greased piece of aluminum foil on a quarter sheet pan (do not use parchment).
10. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit standing upright for 15 minutes, brush with the same glaze (see glaze recipe), bake 15 minutes more, brush glaze again, then bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Let the loaf rest for 10 minutes before removing, slicing, and serving.