Tuscan-Style Bison Ragu

Tuscan-Style Bison Ragu
Recipe type: Stew
 
This recipe is from La Mia Cucina Toscana by Pino Luongo (Broadway Books) and is available for sale at Jessica’s Biscuit: http://www.ecookbooks.com/index.html. It has been altered slightly from the original.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 celery rib, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 pound ground bison meat
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a wide and heavy flameproof casserole, over medium-low heat, melt the butter with half of the olive oil. Add the celery, carrot and onion and sauté until golden, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).
  2. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sear the meat in a single layer, a little bit at a time, then stir the meat into the casserole with the vegetables. Add the wine, tear the sage leaves by hand and add them, then add the nutmeg. Season the ragu with salt and pepper. When the wine has evaporated (about 4 minutes), add half the chicken stock and all of the milk and simmer at a very low temperature, covered, for one hour. Check occasionally, adding more stock if the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Meanwhile, heat up a large pot of boiling water and cook penne or another sturdy dried pasta until al dente, then drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the hot ragu, top with Parmigiano and serve.