Beef Lasagna by Jan

Why I like this recipe:
I like this recipe because it has been a stable dish in my family for several years now. My sister has created this particular dish to suit our tastes and to some, it may taste different to what they are used to in restaurants. Different, possibly… not tasty, definitely not! What’s nice about the dish is that it is suitable for various occasions. It is relatively easy to prepare and only requires a bit of experience to get it right. All that said, it is a filling and satisfying delicacy that will make your guests salivate like Pavlov’s dogs (excuse my erudite reference :)).

Preparation Time
45:00 minutes including the cooking of both sauces

Serves
6

Ingredients:
This dish consists of two sauces (Bolognese and Béchamel) and special Lasagna pasta sheets that can be purchased in almost any well-stocked shop. These sheets do not require any soaking/cooking prior to use. The following ingredients have to be available:

Bolognese sauce:
•    500 Grams (2 cans) of chopped tomatoes
•    500 Grams of minced beef (or veal) – preferably minced at home (lower fat)
•    1 large onion
•    4 cloves of garlic
•    Spices : pepper, salt, parsley, OREGANO, basil
•    Balsamico vinegar
•    Brown sugar
•    Olive oil

Béchamel sauce:
•    2 large spoons of butter
•    Equal amount of flour
•    ½ liter of milk
•    Grated cheese (such as Eidam + Parmigiano)
•    Pepper + salt
•    Cheese (100g) of grated cheese for last layer (not part of sauce)

You will require two pans to make the sauces and one deep baking pan.

Preparation method

Bolognese sauce:
Chop up the onion. Let it simmer on the pan with some olive oil until the onion starts gaining a glassy look. Add the minced beef, separate it and spread it out. Let the juices come out and add the grated garlic. Stir well until the meat is fully done. Add the chopped tomatoes from the cans, mix it all together. Lower the heat and let it settle for about 10 minutes. Season accordingly to your taste. Sprinkle it with Balsamico vinegar and drop in approximately one spoon of brown sugar. Mix well once more and let it rest until the sauce thickens up. Move it aside while you start preparing the Béchamel sauce.

Béchamel sauce:
Take a pan and place in some butter. Let it melt and mix in some flower until it joins together and forms a mass. Let it turn white and add milk slowly while mixing it continually. Use a whisking tool to break up the mass and make it smooth. When it starts getting smooth, add some cheese and mix well once more. If it is too sticky, add more milk and mix it in accordingly. This can be a bit tricky but if you have a good whisk and pay good attention to it, you will obtain a nice smooth white sauce.

Layering of sauces and pasta:
Prepare a baking pan and grease it up with oil. Place the lasagne sheets on the bottom of the pan. Spread out some of the Bolognese sauce to cover up the sheets and to make sure they are not left try. Add the Béchamel sauce on top based on preference. You will then place the lasagne sheets and repeat this process once more. When placing the third and last layer of lasagne sheets, you will add Béchamel sauce on top, this time excluding the Bolognese and adding cheese on top to let it have a cheese crust when baked.