Ragu Bolognese Sauce

Did you know that cooking Bolognese sauce is really easy? Believe me, you do not need to spend more than 15 minutes in the kitchen. Then, choose a good movie and enjoy it while your sauce is slowly cooking on the stove. Wait for the happy ending and, finally, have this fabulous home-made Bolognese sauce with your favorite pasta!

Ragu Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

500 gr of pork minced meat

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 carrots

2 celery sticks

1 white onion

1 garlic clove

1 glass of red wine (150 ml)

300 ml tomato puree

300 ml of chicken stock, or water

2 springs of rosemary

1/2 tsp salt

1 pinch of ground black pepper

How to prepare:

Pour the olive in a pot and heat it on the stove at medium/high heat. When the olive oil is hot add the pork meat. Brown the meat stirring all the time.

In a mixer put carrots, celery, onion and garlic and chop them. Stir the vegetables into the meat and cook for a couple of minutes. Then pour the wine in the pot and let it evaporate.

Finally, add tomato puree, stock, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to boil. Then low the heat to very low, cover with a lid and cook for 2 hours stirring from time to time. If during the cooking you see that the sauce is becoming too dry add some more stock or water.

When the sauce is ready, adjust it with salt and pepper and use it for seasoning your favorite pasta. Do not forget to sprinkle it with a generous handful of Parmigiano cheese. 

Echine de Porc à la Moutarde (Pork Shoulder with Mustard)

This French dish is full of flavour and really easy to prepare. Ideal for a dinner party, you can also replace pork meat with chicken or beef. I suggest pork because it makes a better balance with the tasty sauce.

Echine de Porc à la Moutarde (Pork Shoulder with Mustard)

Ingredients for 1 portion:

1 pork shoulder steak (you can use also fillet or cutlet)
1/2 small white onion
100 ml of chicken stock
100 ml of single cream
1 tbsp of mustard (I used Moutarde à l’ancienne de Dijon, with seeds)
a knob of butter
a pinch of salt
a pinch of ground black pepper

How to prepare:

Season the pork meat with salt and pepper. Brown it in a pan with the butter at medium/high heat.

Turn over the meat from time to time and when it is well browned (it will take around 10 mins) take it from the pan and put it aside on a plate covered with a lid.

Now lower the heat and in the same pan brown the chopped onion.

When the onion is golden add the hot stock and a spoonful of mustard. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.

Then add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Thicken the sauce at medium/high heat for around 5 mins.

On a cutting board cut the meat into slices (around 1 cm thick).

Put the meat slices in the pan with the sauce and cook for a few seconds more on each side.

Serve hot with boiled potatoes.

Pork Loin with Apples and Belgian Beer

Pork meat with apples is popular, but have you ever tried it with beer? I did last Sunday and the result was deeeeliciuos!

Pork Loin with Apples and Belgian Beer

Ingredients for 4:

1 kg of pork loin

4 apples (Golden or Royal Gala)

4 big potatoes

1 big white onion

300 ml of blonde Belgian beer

300 ml vegetables stock

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt

a pinch of ground black pepper

How to prepare:

Cut the pork meat in small cubes (3 cm). Dry them with a cloth. Brown the meat in a casserole together with the olive oil at medium-high heat.

Finely slice the onion and add it in the casserole. When the onion is golden pour the beer into the casserole. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn down the heat to low and cover with a lid.

Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them in big pieces. After 15 mins, add the potatoes in the casserole. Season with salt and pepper and if necessary add a ladle of hot stock. Continue cooking covered for 15 mins more. Stir from time to time and add more stock when it is becoming dry.

Peel the apples and cut them in big pieces. Add the apples in the casserole together with a pinch of cinnamon. Cook for 15 mins more stirring and adding stock when necessary.

When it is ready taste and adjust of salt and pepper. Serve the pork loin along with some chilly Blonde Belgian Beer.