Lasagne cacate

Towards Christmas, traditional Sicilian cuisine is enriched by several  recipes. I have chosen to suggest you a first course recipe to bring to the table during this holiday season. It's tipical of Modica's area, but fairly widespread in the rest of Sicily.
The original recipe calls for the use of "sugna", lard, but, if you can't find it, you can use olive oil, strictly extravirgin. Also you can use minced meat, instead to mice the meat after cooking.

Put in a saucepot a piece of meat of veal and one of pork and brown them in lard, fading all with a glass of red wine. When meat will be brown, remove it and put in the same saucepot a thin red onion chopped to fry. Now add tomato extract, diluited in a little water, put again the meat and season to taste. When meat will appear cooked, mice it and after put in the sauce, on fire off.

Meanwhile prepare the lasagne. Oil the bottom of a baking tin, place the first lasagne layer, then add ragout, fresh ricotta cheese and grated caciocavallo (kneaaded-paste cheese from Southern Italy). Continue to arrange in layers, for other 4-5 times. On the last layer abound with caciocavallo, so on lasagna will be a golden and crispy layer oh cheese.

I suggest you to combine the intense taste of this dish with a good full-bodied red wine....and Merry Christams !!!!

Doses for a baking tin (6 people):

- 1 red onion
- 100 grams/3,5 oz of grated caciocavallo (kneaaded-paste cheese from Southern Italy)
- 400 grams/1 lb of fresh ricotta
- 100 grams/3,5 oz of lard or, alternatively, extravirgin olive oil
- 1 glass of red wine
- 600 grams/1 lb 5 oz of lasagne
- 500 grams/1 lb 2 oz of meat of pork
- 500 grams/ 1 lb 2 oz of meat of vael

- 400 grams/ 1 lb of tomato extract

- salt
- fresh ground black pepper

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

How to sterilize

You can preserve your homemade bottled  preserves safely and for a long time with few simple steps and, at the same time, contain scents, flavors and traditions.

1. Fill the jars with the prepared preserves and after seal them hermetically.

2. Wrap each jar in a clean cloth to avoid they can collide and crack boiling.

3. Put a towel on the bottom of the pot and set the jars. Add in the pot so enough cold water to exceed jars of  4 fingers, then close with the lid and bring to a boil. After boling  reduce to a minimum flame and from now on start to calculate half an hour of sterilization, or the time indicated for the selected recipe. I remember you that water must alaways exceed the jars, if the water decreases, add other hot .

4. Before removing jars from water, let them cool: sudden temperature changes can break those compromising the preserves.

Tools of the trade

To prepare the useful granny's preserves, you must use the righ kitchen accessories. Below, I indicate you few, but essential tools, you'll need to do the preserves.

- Wooden spoons of different sizes, long-handled to mix well

- A colander and a slotted spoon to drain

- A sieve and a blender to pass

- A pot, preferably a copper pot, to cook vegetables

- Casseroles and steel pains (stainless steel) in heavy bottom (the double bottom), to use for any preaparation and suitable to sterilize

- Glass jars with airtight lids new (screw or hook) with new rubber seals. Favorities vessels with a maximum capacity of 5 dl /3,38 fl. oz., so, once open, able to consume conserves quickly.