Bolognese alla Nonna

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g minced beef
• 1 small can of tomatoes
• 2 m.-sized carrot(s)
• ¼ celery root
• ½ jar white wine, dry
• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves, dried
• 1 clove(s)
• 5 peppercorns
• 3 juniper berries
• Salt
• some oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 50 minutes

my grandmother’s original recipe from beautiful Italy

Finely chop the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and fry them in a large pot with a little oil. As soon as the vegetables begin to brown, add the ground meat and cook until everything is well browned. Add the white wine and tomato paste and cook until (almost) all the liquid has evaporated. Then add the canned tomatoes and their juices to the pot, refill the empty can with water, and add them as well. Place the bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and juniper berries into a tea strainer, close tightly, and add them to the pot. Simmer on low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 5 minutes before serving, let it simmer uncovered again until the desired consistency is reached, then add salt to taste. Remove the tea strainer and serve. This is my grandmother’s original recipe from Italy. This recipe uses white wine instead of red wine. My grandfather made the white wine himself, so it was only natural that this and no other wine was allowed in the kitchen. The long cooking time with the spices and the searing of the vegetables/minced meat make this sauce particularly tasty.