Polenta with Mushroom Meat Sauce

The school year has begun, and now instead of lazy impromptu meals at the end of a summer's day we are shifting to meals that inspire the family to gather at the table together, to feel the warmth and comfort of reconnecting while we share stories from our day. With this in mind I went searching for a new recipe that would evoke just that kind of sentiment: a comfort food with deep earthy notes, soft and warm textures... This Polenta con Tocco di Funghi alla Genovese (credit to Giuliano Bugialli, Bugialli's Italy) is one such meal.

Start with 1 oz of dried mushrooms (Bugialli calls for porcini only, but I used a mix including porcini as well as black trumpet and some other wild varieties). Soak the mushrooms in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, then strain the soaking liquid very well and reserve it for the sauce. Clean and chop the mushrooms.

While the mushrooms are soaking, you can begin your other prep. You will need 1 lb of canned imported Italian tomatoes. Cut them in half.

Finely chop 1 medium red onion, 1 medium carrot, and the leaves from 15 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley.

Next, tie 1 lb of boneless top sirloin in one piece into a cylinder, like a salami. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil along with 1/4 cup sweet butter in a deep pan or casserole over medium heat. Add the meat to the hot oil and butter, and lightly brown it all over.

Remove the meat and add the chopped onion, carrot and parsley to the pan along with 1 cup dry red wine. Cook about 10 minutes, or until the wine evaporates.

Next, sprinkle 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour over the vegetables and mix very well.

Add the tomatoes.

Then add the mushrooms, and add the meat back to the pan. Pour in the strained soaking water from the mushrooms as well as enough chicken or meat broth to cover everything, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

After 2 hours has passed, remove the meat and save it for another preparation. The meat in this dish is not actually consumed but lends its essence to the sauce. Pass the contents of the pan through a food mill.

Reduce the sauce in a pan over medium heat until it becomes rather thick.

The sauce will be served over a polenta, which you should begin to prepare anywhere from 20-60 minutes before the sauce is done, depending on which type of polenta you have purchased. The recipe calls for long-cooking coarse stone-ground polenta but I could only find instant polenta at the store.

To make the polenta, first finely chop 4 oz pancetta along with 2 fresh sage leaves. Also chop one more red onion (not shown).

Melt 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup sweet butter in a saucepan or a sautoir over medium heat.

When the butter is melted, add the onion, pancetta and sage. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Add 3 cups chicken or meat broth or cold water to the mixture and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add your polenta, mix very well, and keep stirring until the polenta reaches a boil. The instant polenta will be done right away, but the long-cooking polenta will need to be stirred for up to 45 minutes until it is done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the polenta topped with the sauce, some grated parmesan cheese and some chopped parsley.

Mmmm... so good!