Get Back to Basics with Classic Ragù alla Bolognese

Recipe First:

Based on a couple recipes I went through but this one by Rachael Ray is a good base and amalgamation of much of the others — Recipe Here

Tweaks:

• Did not use ground veal because I don’t stock it at the house, but would probably be delicious
• I deglazed with wine before adding the cream/whole milk based on another recipe; I don’t believe it effects the flavour much. You do you.

Post cook I realized that I am more picky when chopping veggies for French cooking than Italian — maybe because of my perception of their cultures? The strictness of the French culinary scene? The development of my knife skills? No idea, but ideally my cuts would be more uniform when adding the onion, carrot, and celery; the real base of this dish

Added the ground beef and pork to the dish. I always try to avoid extra lean ground beef as the fat in dishes is what carries the majority of flavour.

Aside: There is a large western bias toward fat in foods due to lobbying in the 90’s (probably earlier?) which demonized it. It was bad for you and what makes you ‘fat’ ultimately leading to low-fat, high-sugar substitutes that have largely gone by the way side the last 5-10 years. My belief, as well as other research I’ve come across, proposes that this bias is, in part, a result of embedded language. The root of ‘fat’ in latin is ‘lipid’ — the chemical name for fat and an essential component to life. If being ‘fat’ wasn’t associated with eating fat and instead calories (which is a necessity — think amino acids) we might have a slightly different culinary journey. That being said fat in food is calorie intense, but it’s also what’s satiating; it not only makes us feel full, but it’s also why we love to eat.

Deglazed with red wine. Many recipes call for either red or white, but I find red gives a deeper flavour for red sauces, but who knows if that is just my bias

Adding dairy is supposed to create a smoother sauce and more tender meat; not sure of the validity of this since I haven’t tried the alternate, but it seemed like some sound logic.

Aside: Something to be aware of is that if the sauce is too acidic, the pan is too hot, or the cream/milk is not tempered it can cause it to curdle/separate/break (all the same thing). I’ve read that it’s better to add the cream/milk first since the wine hasn’t increased the acidity at that point which seems like a fair point

Diced tomatoes and herbs added; all directions point to using some very fancy Italian tomatoes that I mentioned in the Marinara Sauce recipe – San Marzano, but I used generic brand. San Marzano’s have been ordered and on their way for comparisons sake

This step of the recipe is what I have heard to referred as ‘starving the sauce’. I thought it was pretty cool from a cooking perspective seeing the oils and fats bubbling to the surface as the water evaporates. When this happens a small amount of water is added to aid in the cooking process to help meld the flavours over time. The flavour from the start to finish of the simmering period were in different time zones; similar to tasting a quality Barolo fresh out of the bottle versus four hours of decanting later

Added the pasta directly to the dish. It really helps coat the pasta with the lipids, equally distribute the sauce, keeping it hot for serving, and making all the deliciousness happen. Pasta with holes in the middle (classic description) is so nice for a full bodied sauce like this in order to hold the amazing flavour

Bottom line is that it is an amazing dish, a great recipe, and can be enjoyed with decadent wine in the company of friends and family. It’s truly a recipe to warm the heart and soul — and for Nicole, it was the background to handing out candy on our first halloween together to vivacious children. We aren’t into having kids so we at least enjoy them once a year 🙂

Cole Rating: 10/10