Recipe: Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese Sauce
Newsgroup: rec.food.cooking/Dan Masi
Makes about 4 cups

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 T unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, chopped a second time in a food processor or grinder
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup milk
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 cups peeled and chopped fresh plum tomatoes or undrained canned tomatoes
large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Over medium heat in large, heavy saucepan, saute the vegetables in butter and oil until soft, around 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until it JUST loses its pinkness; do not brown. Increase heat to med-high, add the wine and stir until the wine evaporates. Add milk, bay, thyme; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the milk has evaporated. Add tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to very low. Stir in seasonings and simmer over *very* low heat for several hours.