Ed regularly exclaims that this is the best Bolognese ever. With an endorsement like that I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer to share it with all of you. Sure this might seem like a colder weather meal, but you never know what you might find at your local farmers market (vegetables and/or meat) that might make it into this dish.
Many Bolognese recipes call for ground beef and perhaps ground pork. This Bolognese matched Anthony Bourdain’s large personality – he also added ground veal and chicken livers. We’d never seen a Bolognese recipe that included chicken livers and were intrigued. Ed is a big fan of chicken livers so it wasn’t a stretch! The chicken livers are the secret ingredient as they add a depth of flavor but you’d be hard pressed to know they are there. We’ll let you decide if you want to share this with the people whom you are feeding.
We procured the necessary four types of meat at our local butcher (Worrell’s in Malvern, PA). Since the container of chicken livers was twice what we needed, we decided to double the recipe knowing that it would freeze well. The butcher ground the veal on the spot as they didn’t have any on hand – one of the many reasons why we love this place!
Once you have the meat, the remaining ingredients are simple to find. Take the time to finely dice the onion, carrots and celery as you want them to blend in with the ground meat. (You’ll see we missed a carrot in the photo.)
Don’t even think about skipping the milk. The milk is what makes it a Bolognese sauce. Not only does it add a bit of richness to the sauce, it also tenderizes the meat. The milk cooks down so the end result isn’t a creamy sauce.
This is a Sunday kind of sauce as it will take about 3-1/2 hours to prepare – 1-1/2 to 2 hours of that time largely unattended. We hope you like this as much as we did. Thank you, Anthony!
| Bourdain Bolognese | | Print |
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 3 large celery stalks, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (no need to mince them)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ pound chicken livers, trimmed of connective tissue and fat and finely chopped
- ¾ pound ground beef chuck (20% fat)
- ¾ pound ground veal
- ¾ pound ground pork
- ¾ cup tomato paste (about 6 ounces)
- 1 cup dry Italian white wine
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- Serve with pasta (regular or gluten-free) and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil (freshly torn)
- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender and have released their juices, about 7 to 9 minutes.
- Stir in chicken livers and cook over high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add beef, veal and pork, stirring and breaking up over high heat. Season again with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over high heat until the meat is brown, stirring regularly and scraping the bottom of the pot as necessary to keep the meat and vegetables from scorching, about 10 minutes.
- Once the meat is browned, reduce heat to medium. Stir in tomato paste. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add wine, bring to a boil and let cook until reduced by half.
- Add milk and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a bit of water (or chicken stock) if you need to thin the sauce a bit.
- Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Remove from the heat and stir to release steam and allow it to cool slightly. Skim the fat off the top with a ladle and discard. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve with your favorite short or long pasta (regular or gluten-free) and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil (freshly torn)
- Sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
* Sauce freezes well. Let cool before placing in freezer-safe containers.
Source: Adapted from Anthony Bourdain’s Appetites: A Cookbook (2016)
Sounds yummy!!!! I need to find a butcher here in jacksonville!
Steph – Thank you! Yes, it is definitely worth seeking out a butcher for this sauce. I hope you are well!
how much wine???
Suzanne – My apologies – I just updated the recipe. It’s 1 cup.
Made this tonight with added mushrooms. It was the bomb! Stomachs full smiles all around. Thank you.
David – I am so glad you liked it! Mushrooms are a great addition. Thank you for sharing.
This is absolutely delicious. The addition of the chicken livers – which should ideally be soaked in milk for at least five hours prior to cooking – elevates this meal in a very simple, yet very effective way.
Lucie – I’m so glad you liked it! Oh, my husband, would love that addition. Thank you!
This is it! I lived in Fiesole for a year and became addicted to pasta with Bolognese sauce! When I returned to the states, I tried in vain to reproduce it. No luck! Chicken livers and milk are the absolute key!!!!!! Thank you for this splendid recipe!
Gayle – You are most welcome! We must thank Mr. Bourdain as well! I’m so glad you like this. I appreciate you sharing.