Meat Gravy (Sugo di Carne)

Ingredients

• lardone or carnesecca (cured pork fat / dry-cured belly)
• onion
• carrot
• celery
• butter
• g lean beef
• salt
• cloves
• L hot water or spongy-bone broth

Instructions

1. Line a pan with thin slices of cured pork fat or dry-cured belly; add chopped onion, carrot and celery, bits of butter, then lean beef (cheaper cuts fine). Season with salt and 2 cloves.
2. Set over the fire untouched; when you smell the onion browning, turn the meat and let it brown almost black.
3. Add a small ladle of cold water three times as it dries up, then for ~500 g meat add 1.5 L hot water or bone broth.
4. Simmer gently 5-6 hours to reduce; strain, let the fat set on top, and remove it all. Broken chicken necks/heads improve the flavor.