Authentic Ragù Alla Bolognese Food

AUTHENTIC RAGù ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Mix together the ground meat and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, cook the pancetta until the fat has melted.
• Add the chopped onion and continue to cook until it is translucent.
• Add the carrot, celery and bay leaves and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften and brown.
• Raise the heat to very high and add the ground meats, and cook stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
• Cook until lightly browned.
• Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated.
• Puree the tomatoes and add to the pot reducing the heat to low.
• Simmer until thickened for 2 hours. (If the sauce becomes too thick you can thin it with a little beef broth.)
• Add the milk and continue to cook over low heat for another hour or two until thickened.
• Serve on top of fresh egg tagliatelle with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

AUTHENTIC RAGù ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Place a 12" skillet over medium heat and melt butter in the oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic with some salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the pancetta or bacon and cook for 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
• Increase the heat to high and add meat a third at a time. Make sure to add meat gradually as this allows the water to evaporate and the meat will brown.
• Cook until meat is no longer pink. Once this happens, set timer for 15 minutes and allow meat to caramelize stirring occasionally. It is okay for meat to stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Over medium heat, pour the white wine into pan to deglaze. Scrape all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
• Add milk, diced tomatoes with liquid, beef stock, 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp ground pepper to the pan. Bring to boil and then put on low and simmer slowly half covered for 4 hours. Stir occasionally.
• Do not allow meat to stick again. If starts to stick lower heat and add a small amount of beef stock.
• The sauce should be thick at the end.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Finish with stirring in parmigiano cheese and butter to ragu.

AUTHENTIC BOLOGNESE SAUCE (SUGO ALLA BOLOGNESE)

Steps:

• Place the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic clove in a food processor. Pulse the motor until the vegetables are finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and chopped bacon (or pancetta, which is an Italian bacon). Stir in the salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the ground veal (or beef) to the pot with the vegetables. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in the wine, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and the milk (or cream). Add the pinch of ground nutmeg.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours.
• Serve over spaghetti, cooked al dente, and pass the grated Parmesan cheese.
• Mangia!

RAGù ALLA BOLOGNESE - THE AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Steps:

• Mince pancetta very finely or better yet grind it in a food processor.
• Cook it on med heat in a small sauce pot (big enough for all the ingredients, don't burn it!
• Finely Mince vegetables or grind in food processor.
• Add vegetables to pan, and cook until onion is transparent. mix up a bit every once in a while.
• Add ground meat.
• When you hear the little popping noise of the beef cooking and it's a bit browned, add wine and tomato sauce lengthened with a bit of broth.
• as it cooks, add a bit of the milk every once in a while or broth if you choose to use broth.
• Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook covered on low heat for about 2 hours.
• Optional: add a bit of cream at the last moment.

RAGU BOLOGNESE (AUTHENTIC)

Steps:

• Prepping makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
• Finely chop pancetta.
• Finely dice carrots, onions and celery.
• Wash livers carefully, then flatten livers and chop.
• Warm milk and chicken stock.
• Peel Garlic.
• In a Dutch oven over medium heat add 2 tbsp oil with 2 tbsp butter. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are soft, 8 - 10 minute. Do not brown.
• Add the remaining butter and olive oil.
• Add carrots and celery, increase heat to med-high, sauté until they start to brown.
• Add pancetta, prosciutto, mortadella or your choice of any combo of meats and sauté one to two minutes.
• Remove mixture from pan to a bowl and reserve.
• Add chicken liver and stir frequently 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add ground beef or meat blend and brown (do not stew meat, if you need to, do so in stages)
• Return vegetable mix to Dutch oven.
• Add tomato paste to meat and vegetable mix and brown paste for about 10-15 minute important step, develops deep flavor.
• Add wine to deglaze, allow it to evaporate 4 - 7 minutes.
• Add 1 cup warm milk and pinch nutmeg, allow it to come to a boil, carefully reduce milk for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Add passata or whole tomatoes crushed my hand or potato masher.
• Add chicken stock and whole garlic cloves stir. Cover and continue to cook for 3 to 4 hours over very low heat or place into oven at 275 for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Several minutes before serving mash garlic cloves against wall of Dutch oven and add remaining milk continue to cook 10 minutes.