Bolognese

Bolognese Sauce (ragù alla bolognese in Italian, sauce bolognaise in French), is a meat based sauce for pasta, originating in Bologna, Italy. The people of Bologna traditionally serve their famous ragù with freshly made tagliatelle (tagliatelle alla bolognese).

OK, so there you have it.

Oh wait, let me tell you what a ragù is...

Ragù is an Italian term for a meat based sauce, traditionally served
with pasta. Etymologically the word derives from the French word ragoût, a noun derived from ragoûter (to revive the taste). A ragù is usually made by adding meat to a soffritto (partially-fried mixture of chopped onions, celery, carrots, seasonings, etc.) and then simmering for a long time with a bit of tomato sauce.

So, in essence, a stew. This is the very important factor and "secret" I am letting you in on right here, right now. You need to be patient to make a decent Bolognese. Don't to the Jamie Oliver thing and "whack" the onions into the pot and "bang" in the mince and tinned tomatoes and vóila, bolognese.

Blech. Then I recommend rather just buying Ina Paarman's Meat Sauce in a jar.

The Easy Recipe: (please don't ever mistake me saying something is "easy" for being quick, if it's quick I'll say so...)

Ingredients:

125g Pork Mince

375g Beef Mince

125g Ham

2 Medium Onions, Chopped

4 Tbsp Chopped Carrots

125ml Chopped Celery

4 Tbsp Butter

2Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Chopped Garlic

125ml Red or White Wine

500ml Beef Stock

800g (2 tins) Chopped Tomatoes

2 tbsp Tomato Paste

3 Tbsp Cream

Salt & Pepper

3 Bay Leaves

Method:

1. Sauté the chopped, onion, celery and carrot over low heat in the oil and butter, until they colour slightly.
2. Add the garlic, stirring well with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the minced meat and cook over low heat, breaking the meat up, season with salt and pepper.
4. When cooked through, add the wine, increase the heat and cook until the wine has evaporated.
5. Add the tinned tomatoes and the tomato paste and also the stock.
6. Add the bay leaves.
7. Turn to a medium heat so that the sauce simmers gently, cover the pot and let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours*, adding more stock if necessary.
8. Add the cream an hour before the end of the cooking time and remove the bay leaves before serving.

* I say 2 to 3 hours, but if you have the time, simmer it slowly for 4 to 6 hours. It's a simple principle: the longer the sauce simmers, the better the flavour and consistency become... just like a good stew. Another important tip, don't just forget about it on the stove, it tends to stick to the bottom of the pot, so just remember to go give it a stir every once in a while. You really really don't want this to burn.

But seriously, be honest with yourself, other than it taking a long time to cook, it really cannot get much simpler than that, it's not like there's a whole lot of work.

Now, since we're on the subject, let's just properly cover this topic of Bolognese, then it's done. If you want to treat yourself and whomever you might deem important enough to make it for... there is THE recipe, the "cultish" Napolitan Ragù. Please make this, at least once in your life...