Rragu, some consider it the pinnacle of Itlalian cuisine. For those of you that don’t know, ragu is a thick, viscous sauce that contains meat, such as Bolognese. Made from a tomato base, stock base, or other, this ragu is sure to impress.
Ragu takes time to develop, and can’t be rushed. I managed to fly out a ragu in about 3.5 hours, from start to finish, but many people recommend longer. I also recommend using as quality ingredients as you can get your hands on – don’t buy a $3 bottle of wine. If you’ve got it, use homemade beef, veal, or game stock. If not, use store bought beef or veal stock.
This particular recipe can be used for many different meat types, including dove, duck, beef, pork, veal, lamb, elk, deer, and more. I used about 2lbs of raw dove breasts, which was between 30 and 40 birds. This recipe calls for braising the meat, of which can be done using multiple different methods. I used a pressure cooker, but you can also use a slow cooker, or braised in the oven or stove top. I’m going to give tips on how to make this recipe using an oven, pressure cooker, and slow cooker.
I paired this particular recipe with Hank Shaw’s Pumpkin Gnocchi recipe, which you can find HERE. The recipe didn’t disappoint – it was easy to make and came out delicious. My only criticism would be to increase the amount of pumpkin by ¼ cup, and decrease the ricotta by ¼ cup, but that’s only a small critique. Also, Hank, if you’re reading this, is this not a gnudi instead of a gnocchi?
My final comment is that this is probably one of the best recipes I’ve made, and probably the best wild game recipe I’ve ever eaten. The dove carries the sauce on a journey to flavor town – I’d recommend this recipe to people who don’t like wild game, or don’t like dove. Take your time and follow the recipe step by step – it may look overwhelming, but it’s quite simple. When the ragu and gnocchi is done, I finish by melting a tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium high heat. Follow by adding the gnocchi and let it get a little bit of color, and then add the ragu, toss the ragu in, and serve.
Dove Sugo Serves 4
2lbs Whole Dove Breasts
2 Tbs Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Tbs Salt
1 tspn Cumin
1 tspn Black Pepper
½ Large Yellow Onion, Rough Chopped
4oz Carrot, Peeled and Rough Chopped
4oz Celery, Rough Chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, Smashed
1 Tbs Dried Thyme
1 Tbs Dried Oregano
¼ Cup Tomato Paste
1 Cup Red Wine
1 Quart Beef or Veal Stock
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Each Bay Leaf
1 Tbs Butter
4oz Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered
To Taste Salt and Pepper
1.) Heat oil in large, oven-proof pot.
2.) Preheat oven to 250°F
3.) Season dove with salt, pepper, and cumin. Toss to coat.
4.) Once oil is shimmering, add dove in batches, so as to not overcrowd the pot. Brown the dove on each side and remove. Repeat this until all dove have been browned. Set aside.
5.) In the same pot, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until onions are translucent – about 3-5 minutes.
6.) Once translucent, add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Don’t allow garlic to brown.
7.) Add the tomato paste and cook until tomato paste has reached a deeper, brick-colored red – about 2 minutes.
8.) Add the red wine and deglaze the pot. Add the Thyme and Oregano. Stirring often, reduce the wine by about half.
9.) Once reduced, add the dove back into the pot. Add the stock, cinnamon, bay leaf, and butter.
10.) Bring this mixture to a high simmer and add a lid or top with foil. Place pot into preheated oven and cook for 2-3 hours, until dove is tender.
11.) Once finished cooking, remove from oven.
12.) Carefully remove dove from pot and allow to cool slightly.
13.) Once cooled, remove meat from bone and shred slightly. Discard bones and set aside meat.
14.) Strain cooking liquid and place back into pot. Add the shredded dove meat and tomatoes.
15.) Over medium heat, reduce by about half, or until sauce is thick.
16.) Remove from heat and taste test for salt and pepper content – add as needed.
17.) Use immediately, or cool and store in fridge for a week, or in freezer for a year.
Pressure Cooker
· Follow the same steps, but inside your pressure cooker instead of an oven-safe pot.
· Pressure cook for about 12 minutes
Slow Cooker
· Perform the same steps in a pot, and transfer to a slow cooker. Be sure to get everything out of the pot and into your slow cooker.
· Cook for 3-4 hours, or until tender.
· Once finished cooking, transfer back to a pot to reduce.