Ragu alla bolognese

SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 5 HOURS

250g sliced hot pancetta, chopped coarsely

20g butter

800g beef chuck steak, chopped coarsely

¾ cup (180ml) dry red wine

1 small onion (80g), chopped finely

1 medium carrot (120g), chopped finely

1 stick celery (150g), trimmed, chopped finely

10g dried porcini mushrooms

10 fresh sage leaves (10g)

⅓ cup (95g) tomato paste

3 cups (750ml) beef stock

⅓ cup (25g) finely grated parmesan

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

1 Preheat oven to 150°C.

2 Cook pancetta in a heated large flameproof dish on stove top over medium heat, stirring, 3 minutes or until browned lightly.

3 Add butter and beef to dish; cook, stirring, until beef is browned. Add wine; cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

4 Add onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and sage to pan; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the stock; cover, roast in oven for 4 hours. Uncover dish; return to oven, roast for a further 30 minutes.

5 Skim and discard excess fat from surface. Season to taste. Using two forks, shred meat coarsely.

6 Serve bolognese topped with cheese and rind.