Chef John's Bolognese Sauce

Melt butter with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook onion, celery, and carrot with pinch of salt until onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove veggies.

Add ground beef and cook, stirring constantly until meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Brown it hard and keep it moving. Season meat mixture with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Add veggies back in. Add chicken bouillon directly along with some balsamic vinegar.

Consider deglazing with wine first.

Pour milk into ground beef mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until most of the milk has evaporated and bottom of pan is still slightly saucy, about 5 minutes.

Raise heat to medium high and pour white wine into ground beef mixture; cook and stir until white wine has mostly evaporated, about 5 more minutes.

Pour tomatoes with juice into a large mixing bowl and crush them with your fingers until they resemble a slightly chunky sauce. Pour tomatoes into sauce; fill can with 2 cups water and add to sauce. Bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until mixture cooks down into a thick sauce, at least 3 hours but preferably 4 to 6 hours. Skim fat from top of sauce if desired. If sauce is too thick or too hot on the bottom, add a little more water. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.