Pork Bolognese

When I am looking at a recipe and see the words ground pork, milk and wine listed in the ingredients, I am skeptical about how it will turn out. If I see a pasta sauce with milk in it, and the sauce is tomato based, not cream based, I am hesitant to try it.
This past week has been pretty chilly in Edmonton, one that makes you want to turn the fireplace on and have a bowl full of soup, or chili, or pork bolognese. This recipe comes from, no surprise, Everyday Food.

Pork Bolognese
Recipe from Everyday Food
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 pounds ground pork
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Cooked penne rigate, for serving
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
1) In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is released, 5 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook until soft, 6 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add pork and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 7 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook until pork is coated, 4 minutes.
2) Add wine; cook until reduced by three-fourths. Add 1 cup milk; cook until reduced by half. Add tomato sauce, broth, bay leaf, thyme, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Stir in 1/4 cup milk. Serve sauce over pasta, topped with cheese

I found the sauce to be a bit runnier than what I like. Next time I would use only 1.5 cups of chicken stock and see if that makes any difference. Overall, the sauce was incredibly good. There was a lot of flavor, and it was very hearty. The sauce takes only a short time to bring together, and then it cooks for an hour. Very low maintenance to make, big flavor in the end.