Pancetta Reduction

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (such as Kerrygold, divided
• 8 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 (3 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups Merlot wine

Directions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir pancetta in melted butter until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

Stir onion and garlic into the pancetta drippings in the skillet; season with salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir tomato paste with the onion mixture until smooth; season with oregano, turmeric, curry powder, herbes de Provence, and black pepper.

Pour Merlot wine over the mixture and stir; bring to a full simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Melt remaining butter into the sauce; stir.

Pour the reduced mixture into a blender; add the reserved pancetta and blend until smooth.