Homemade Bolognese Sauce

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, combining melted butter and olive oil. Add diced onion, chopped celery, sliced carrot, and a small amount of salt; cook and stir until the onion becomes translucent, taking around 5 minutes to achieve this.

Next, incorporate ground beef into the vegetable mixture and continue cooking and stirring until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink, approximately 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to season the dish.

Now, add milk to the ground beef mixture and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the milk has evaporated and the bottom of the pan remains slightly saucy, taking around 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in white wine; cook and stir until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Transfer tomatoes with juice to a large mixing bowl and crush them using your hands until they resemble a chunky sauce. Pour this tomato mixture into the ground beef mixture; fill the empty tomato can with 2 cups of water and stir it into the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens into a rich consistency, ideally taking at least 3 hours but preferably 4 to 6 hours. If desired, skim the fat from the top of the sauce; if it's too thick, add more water. Finally, taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.