Bacon Bolognese

This is not my recipe.  It came from Amanda at http://justapinch.com I pass it along because it's a delicious bolognese and it HAS BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

"But Dave, what are you gonna pour it on if we can't eat pasta?" 

Oh grasshopper, you have much to learn..  Put a large dollop of ricotta in a bowl and drown it in this sauce.  Grab a spoon and prepare to smile contentedly...

AMAZING BOLOGNESE w BACON!! 

INGREDIENTS -
1/4 lb bacon -
1 stk celery (finely chopped) -
1 md onion -
1 lg carrot, shredded -
4 clove garlic, minced -
4 Tbsp butter or margarine -
3 Tbsp olive oil -
1 lb lean ground beef -
1/2-3/4 lb ground pork -
(1) 8 oz can beef consomme -
1 c dry white wine -
(1) 28 oz can italian style crushed tomatoes -
1 tsp salt -
1/2 tsp black pepper -
1 to 1 1/2 tsp rubbed sage -
1 Tbsp oregano -
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes -
1/4 tsp nutmeg -
1 c milk. 2% or whole, not skim -
OPTIONAL: 1 lb pasta of choice

DIRECTIONS
1. In a Dutch Oven or Medium Size Pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter begins to froth
2. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bacon. Cook until onions are translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes) 3. Remove bacon and remove fat.
4. Chop lean portions of bacon in small pieces and return to pot.
5. Add Ground beef and ground Pork, and cook until meat loses red, raw color.
6. Raise heat and add wine and consomme.
7. Cook sauce until wine and consomme are mostly evaporated
8. Turn heat down to simmer and add oregano, salt, pepper, sage, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Let cook for approximately 20 minutes. (Side note: If you use fresh Parmesan, and have a parmesan rind left over, you can add it to the sauce in place of the salt in this recipe. Add it in after you have added the tomatoes and it's simmering, then remove before adding the milk. Makes the sauce extra delicious in my opinion.) 9. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, return to simmer 

10. Let sauce simmer (very slowly) partially covered for about 2 to 4 hours (the longer the better), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking 

11. About 5 to 10 minutes before serving, add milk

---dave---
The Bariatric Food Dude