Zia Mia's ragù (2)

Better walk out with you, I said to my colleagues, so I can finish cooking my 45-minute pasta sauce before I head out again. "Forty-five!", exclaimed one of them in horror. "My sauce is done in 5 minutes." "But the tomatoes need..." "But the Italians..." They didn't let me finish. I didn't tell them I cook this sauce even longer. Morale: extra muros, Bolognese, ragù or whatchamacallit becomes a pale shadow of its true self.

Here's part two of our little series of the month: ragù sauces, meatier than one would ever dream Bolognese. Here is my aunt's original ragù recipe. I like it even better than the tomato version.

2 thick slices of bacon (I used pancetta)
3 carrots, cut in strips
1 rib of celery
3 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
nutmeg
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
350 ground meat (mixture of beef and pork; I used 500 g tenderized steak which I minced myself)
1 can of tomato concentrate (1 big tablespoon)
1/2 glass red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)

Fry the carrots, pancetta, celery in olive oil for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile fry the meat, then add it to the vegetable-pancetta mixture.

Add bay leaves, garlic, tomato concentrate, red wine, stock, and some nutmeg, and let simmer for one hour.

Note: I did not even add salt or pepper. This gives really great concentration. Make sure you have your tastebuds up and functioning when tasting this sauce.