The perfect lasagne starts with quality meat and at Butcher Block Gourmet Store the ground beef is created from a combination of top-quality chuck steak, sirloin and top-butt. The type of meat requires careful consideration — too lean and you’ll get dry and chewy globs; too fatty and there will be a pool of grease in which your lasagne will be suspended. At Butcher Block an 80:20 ratio of chuck steak/sirloin/top butt to fat is used to ensure that customers will get a rich flavour and the perfect balance of meat and fat from their choice of ground beef.

Next up is the sauce. Everyone has their favourite recipes for bolognese and ragù, but why not add a special spin to it? Try red wine, caramelised onions, olives, aged balsamic or capers and Butcher Block’s own private label steak sauce and Italian herb blend. You’ll be the talk of the next family gathering as the company guarantees that you will be kept well stocked with the ingredients to make your now famous ‘secret sauce’.

Sauté chopped onions, carrots, celery in a little olive oil (in cookery this is called a mirepoix). Add Butcher Block’s top-quality ground beef and cook until the onions are tender. Add puréed or diced tomatoes, red wine, Italian spices and steak sauce to the pot. Cover and simmer for a few hours.

A classic béchamel (aka white sauce) is best. Whisk melted butter, flour and milk over medium heat until thick. Add a pinch of nutmeg and cheese and you’re good to go. Whatever your choice of cheese — Gouda, feta, Edam, goat, or cheddar — a selection of fine cheeses is always available in-store. Not sure of what to choose? The Butcher Block family-friendly butcher team is there to assist and make suggestions.

There are numerous suggestions on how to perfectly layer lasagne. Whether swear by the béchamel-pasta-béchamel-meat sauce-cheese method or another layering technique, ensure that everything is the same temperature. This will ensure that your lasagne is evenly cooked.

A hot oven is key. A range between 350°F to 400°F is optimal. This will result in a properly-cooked lasagne with nice, crispy edges and perfectly melted cheese. Enjoy your homemade lasagne with one of the wines of the month. However, if you don’t feel like cooking it from scratch, there’s frozen lasagne ready for the oven right in-store.

For more tips and to purchase your weekend meats, pop by:

Master Meat Crafter Gregory Burrowes

Located at Butcher Block, Upper Manor Park Plaza Shop #A7

Or telephone 876-668-4481