Mario's Bolognese

My boyfriend Jack loves Bolognese. He will make a pot big enough to feed thirty and eat it all himself. He's proud of his recipe and labors, and the results are really quite delicious.

However...

We went to Del Posto for lunch today and were blown away by Mario's bolognese. A quick search of the internet rendered many copies of the same "Mario" recipe (below). I know, however, that this can't be all there is to it (no chef gives away his signature dish's secret ingredient). The dish is beautifully rich and salty, reminiscent of pecorino cheese (was it just the pork fat, or was there anchovy?). Not only that, his meat seemed to be a mix of shredded and ground. It was served on spinach pasta, just coated delicate tubes, simply folded by hand. The spinach pasta added a nice bitter/green note to the rich sauce. It was heavenly.

Mario Batali's Ragu Bolognese (courtesy of the interwebs.)

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion diced
1 rib celery finely diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground pork
1/4 lb pancetta or slab bacon, ground
1/2 tube of tomato paste
1 cup milk
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the veal, pork, and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.

Add pasta to pan, coat evenly.

P.S.- Lunch at Del Posto, what a deal!!!!