Maremman beef, pork and sausage ragu

Method

1. Combine the onion, carrot, celery and parsley stalks in a wide frying pan with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
2. Turn the heat up to medium–high and add the beef, pork and sausage meat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the meat has roasted and browned. There are a few stages to this process. First, the meat will colour on all sides but remain pale. Then you will start to see some liquid coming out of the meat. Then the real browning starts to happen. The bottom of the pan may get sticky and browned, too – all of this adds a lot of flavour.
3. Return the vegetables to the pan and pour over the red wine. Let the wine cook down for about 5–7 minutes, then add the tomato passata, along with about 500 ml to cover. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to low heat and cook for at least 40 minutes, topping up with water as necessary. After about 30 minutes, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. The parsley leaves can be stirred through right before serving or saved for sprinkling over the top (I prefer the previous).