Wild Game Bolognese
Serves four to six, easily doubled
This wild game Bolognese sauce is a great choice for a dinner party; it
requires very little attention as it simmers all day, and is even better if made
one or two days ahead of time.












2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 pounds ground game meat, any combination of bison, elk, venison
and antelope is good. No wild game? Substitute 90% lean ground beef.
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, such as Heron Pinot Noir
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
generous pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley and/or basil to garnish
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to garnish
1. In a heavy-bottomed 5-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, warm 2
tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of
salt (to slow down the cooking process), and sauté the onions until
translucent.
2. Meanwhile, in another large frying pan, brown the meat over medium
heat. If the wild game is very lean, add a few tablespoons of olive oil.
You may need to work in 1-pound batches to evenly brown the meat.
(If substituting ground beef, drain off the fat before adding it to the
sauce.)
3. Once the onions are translucent, add the chopped garlic and stir
continuously until golden but not burnt. Add the browned meat and the
bottle of wine and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is bubbling,
decrease the heat to a low simmer until reduced by half.
4. Add the tomato paste, the oregano and the red pepper flakes. Reduce
the heat to a very low simmer (most likely the lowest setting on your
range), cover, and cook for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours. If you
have a cast iron pot with a tight-fitting lid, this can be done in the oven
at 180ºF. Or the sauce can be transferred to a slow-cooker and
simmered on a low setting. If cooking on a stove-top, be sure to check
every hour or so to stir the sauce and make sure it is not sticking to the
bottom of the pan. If too thick, add more water or wine as needed.
5. Shortly before serving, season with salt and pepper, stir in the cream
and gently warm through for another 10 minutes. Taste and season
again. Toss with hot pasta and garnish with chopped Italian parsley
and/or basil and a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese.
Note: Wild game Bolognese freezes well if done so before the addition of
the cream.