Jennifer's bolognese

 This may just be the very best bridal shower gift we ever received- Jennifer's bolognese recipe!

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion
2-4 carrots
2-4 celery stalks
1 red or green bell pepper
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Ground beef, veal, and pork (1/2 lb. each)
2 cups red wine
San Marzano crushed tomatoes (1 28 oz. can)

Instructions
1. Finely dice all veggies.
2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the onion, carrots, celery, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook the vegetables until they brown, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning. Don't rush this part- browning the vegetables develops serious flavor!
3. Add minced garlic for 30-60 seconds.
4. Add meat, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and brown the meat.
5. Add wine and reduce by three-fourths.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer covered for at least 1 hour, but the longer the better!
7. Before serving or storing, use a shallow spoon to skim the top of the sauce to remove excess fat rendered from the meat.

*The sauce always tastes better the next day!
**Definitely make big batches- it freezes well. BUT be sure you double everything, not just the tomatoes otherwise it will be too watery.

beef daube provençal

Ingredients
*Serves 4

2 tsp. olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 2) 
2 cups chopped carrot (about 4)
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1-2 bay leaves
wide egg noodles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat Dutch oven over low heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside. 
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Season meat with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add beef to pan (in small batches). Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. 
4. Add dash of wine to pan and saute onions for 8 minutes. Add more wine if the pan gets dry.
5. Add the rest of the wine to the pan bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen any remaining browned bits. Add reserved garlic, beef, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 7 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.
6. Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

* Adapted from Cooking Light

Scott's short ribs

Ingredients

6 beef short ribs, trimmed of fat

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)

4 cups large-diced celery (6 large stalks)

2 carrots, peeled and large-diced

1 small fennel, fronds, stems, and core removed, large-diced

1 leek, cleaned and large-diced, white part only

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (750ml) bottle of burgundy or other dry red wine

fresh rosemary sprigs

fresh thyme sprigs

1 tbsp. brown sugar

6 cups beef broth

Instructions
 1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
2. Place short ribs on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, and leek and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the wine over the vegetables, bring to a boil, and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.

4. Place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven and add the beef stock and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

5. Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Discard the herb branches tied in twine (the actual herb leaves should not be attached to the stems anymore) and skim the excess fat. Cook the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until reduced.
6. Put the ribs back into the pot and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce over mashe potatoes.

*from Ina Garten