Battuto

Battuto	Dominic Armato

I don't really have any evidence that a perfectly uniform fine dice on the battuto makes for a better Bolognese. I just believe it as a matter of faith.

Comments

[Brian]

Them are some mad chopping skillz, my friend..

Reminds me of my younger days when I would obsessively mince pretty much any vegetable matter that went into my sauce (I always hated the texture of large onion pieces that had been stewing in sauce for hours). Hard to get any caramelization on such a fine dice, though, so I learned to make the food mill my friend...

For a bolognese that doesn't need the browning notes and can't be milled though - once again, very nice job!

[Anon Man]

A happy Bolognese Sunday to you. I'm doing my personal favorite, a roast braised in Barolo.

[nomnomnom]

I'm so consistently impressed by your food photography. Did you just learn by trial and error, or did you get some training?

[Naomi]

Pretty!

[timothy]

I could never do that.

[Skillet Doux]

Nom... nah, just a lot of snapping. And Photoshop. I'm unashamed to say I use Photoshop. Not for anything dishonest... basic exposure, color correction, the same stuff celluloid geeks do in the darkroom.

Timothy... sure you could. It's just a question of how long you're willing to spend doing it :-)

[paula]

Beautiful! I'm pretty sure a good 25% of the enjoyment I get out of cooking is in how great the ingredients look sometimes in the process.

[seanchai]

Now, it's time for school: what's the difference between what you did and a brunoise?

[Skillet Doux]

Seanchai... a couple of millimeters.

[mncharm]

I would say I could never do that, but I suspect I know the response. :)

I'll just say I will never do that!

Mmmm...I'm making this Sunday the first bolognese Sunday of the fall/winter...here's hoping it takes some of the pain of the Vikings away this year.

Dom, somewhat related question: do you have a preference in brand when it comes to dry pasta? Any recs?

[wkl1998]

mncharm I feel your pain. Try the pit beef tacos from lyndale taphouse during the games to ease your pain. Or Dulono's pizza delivered is hands down the best pizza in Minneapolis whether or not a game is on.

[Bart]

mncharm - I know you asked Dom, but I'll weigh in anyway (maybe others will too!) - but I prefer De Cecco as my brand. I know a few restaurants use it, too.

[mncharm]

Bart, thanks -- I usually go with Barilla or De Cecco...just wondering if there is anything else out there I should be watching for.

wkl, haven't been to the Taphouse since it opened, although I hear good things. Haven't ordered Dulono's in forever -- that is a solid pizza, though. My favorite in the TC is Italian Pie Shoppe; I'd be in heaven if they opened one in south Minneapolis.

[Skillet Doux]

mncharm... I usually just get De Cecco. I've had a couple of good experiences with premium pastasciutta, but they're the exception rather than the norm. I'm particularly baffled by the love for Rustichella d'Abruzzo. I end up trying it once every year or so just because I'm told I'm supposed to love it. But I always have terrible problems with uneven cooking... overcooked and undercooked bits on the same noodle. Going mail-order crazy and doing a roundup of premium pastasciutta is on the very, very long list of posts I'd love to get around to at some point.

[Anon Man]

Dom, I find that my dry pasta preferences change depending on what shape I'm buying for some reason. De Cecco is good for shorter shapes and extrusions, but I find their long-stranded pasta doesn't separate as well as some others. Maybe I imagine it, but it happens enough that I now believe it.

[mncharm]

Thanks, Dom. I look forward to the review at some point in the future.

Gosh, you don't seem very busy, why not get on the internets and order some up for overnight delivery and knock it out this weekend? :)