The Pot Roast Cowboy’s Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

1 small onion

1 carrot

1 28 oz. jar pureed tomatoes

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic

1 lb. ground beef

3 tbsp. tomato paste

3 tbsp. pesto salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor and puree.

2. Coat the bottom of a heavy stock pot with olive oil and sauté the pureed veggies.

3. When the veggies just begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, add ground beef and finely break apart using a spatula. Salt the veggies and beef and continue cooking stirring occasionally until browned.

4. Add the tomato paste once the meat is browned. Cook the paste for a minute or two.

5. Add pureed tomatoes and pesto. Season with salt again if needed.

6. Cover and simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the more intense the flavors will be. We like to let it simmer for 2-3 hours if possible. If starts to dry out, you can add beef stock to loosen up the sauce again.

Thank you to Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco for sharing your recipe and pictures. Arturo and Wrenn are custom grazers located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Their grazing operation consists of grazing double stock steers and custom heifer development for their clients. Arturo has his PhD in ruminant nutrition and owns and operates his own nutrition consulting business, Pacheco Cattle Services. Wrenn is a professional photographer and operates Wrenn Bird Photography. Together they have two little cowboys, Leo and Ross. You can find more of their recipes at cookingwiththecowboy.com.

Chuckles From Down Under

Collected By: Jane Sullivan, Bell Veterinary Services

As the train left the station, the conman sized up the old prospector sitting opposite. When they got to talking, the conman proposed they play a game to pass the time.

“What kind of game?”

“General knowledge quiz, you look like a man of the world,” said the conman. “We each ask the other a question and if one can’t answer he pays the other a dollar.”

The old geezer thought this over for a minute. “Yeah, I like a quiz but I don’t like the even money bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve spent most of my life in the bush. I’m just a simple man whereas you look like a city slicker to me. So I suggest that if you can’t answer my questions then it costs you a dollar, but if I can’t answer yours, then you should let me off with fifty cents.”

The conman was sure he was on a winner. “Okay, you pay fifty cents to my dollar.”

“Then here’s the first question,” said the old geezer. “What’s got five legs and flies backwards?”

“Don’t know,” said the conman slapping down a dollar. “My question now and I’m interested to know exactly what does have five legs and flies backwards?”

“Blowed if I know. Here’s your fifty cents,” said the old man.