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Bolognese ingredient or technique tweaks?

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    Bolognese ingredient or technique tweaks?

    I’m making Bolognese ragu tomorrow and following, for the most part, the Marcella Hazan recipe in her book, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

    I’m going to use Italian sweet sausage as the pork component for the first time after having Bolognese with it at a local European style restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised by how it enhanced the ragu so re-read the Hazan recipe. Under her first bullet points, she strongly suggests using meat from the pork neck because it is more marbled and sweeter. I put the former revelation and the latter suggestion together and a light bulb went on. The only other variation is in the mirepoix. My wife is not a fan of carrots so likes them diced into oblivion.

    Beyond those slight variations, who among you who cook Bolognese regularly have other ingredient or technique suggestions? Any suggestion to use red wine instead of white will be roundly ignored.

    #2
    Add a little fish sauce about 30 minutes or an hour before you're done. Not a lot - maybe a tsp per quart of sauce if that. Ups the umami without adding a fishy component. I got the idea from Kenji, here https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best...more-flavorful

    Comment


    • WayneT
      WayneT commented
      Editing a comment
      Dang, that's an intense article. Thanks for sharing the link.

    #3
    Personally, i use lamb over pork, def white over red, and i will add some milk/heavy cream. Regardless if you are using fresh or canned tomatoes, i will strain them, squeeze them out pretty good, stick them under the broiler for a bit to char them, and use the juice to make the sauce before mixing it all back together. Takes a bit of time but its worth it. The mire poix is more about flavor than texture for me so dice or blend as you see fit
    Last edited by grantgallagher; August 1, 2022, 07:32 PM.

    Comment


    • WayneT
      WayneT commented
      Editing a comment
      I like the idea of slightly charring the tomatoes then reconstituting them before adding to the ragu.

    #4
    I've never made a bolognese, i look forward to seeing your sauce. 🔥🔥🔥❤️🐿

    Comment


    • WayneT
      WayneT commented
      Editing a comment
      I'll post tomorrow. I always make a double batch, hold it overnight in the fridge to build flavor and anything left over from the meal goes into a lasagna Bolognese made with home made ricotta.

    • barelfly
      barelfly commented
      Editing a comment
      Oh gosh. You need to make it! You will be in for a treat!

    #5
    a touch of honey in the sauce makes all the difference also

    Comment


      #6
      A good bolognese needs a hearty pasta, like maybe a tagliatelle . What variety are you going with?

      Comment


      • WayneT
        WayneT commented
        Editing a comment
        Always tagliatelle. We sometimes make it at home but there's a local pasta maker from whom we bought some so we are going to try that with this batch. Any leftover ragu will go into a lasagna Bolognese with home made ricotta.

      #7
      My long version of bolognese includes beef, pork and veal. I use a standard mirepoix like you. I also use milk and a white wine to help enhance.

      If I’m doing just beef, at times I’ll use a red wine, gives a nice change.

      As for your note on sausage, I believe one recipe I have used called for Italian sausage. I’ve done this a time or two and I’m sure it is good, but I just don’t recall how I liked it. I haven’t done this in some time, so I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s good.

      Either way you go, it’s going to be great! Nice to be able to make this in a variety of ways! Have fun.

      but I will say, homemade pasta is the way to as well

      Comment


      • WayneT
        WayneT commented
        Editing a comment
        I’ve always used beef and pork and other times included veal. I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison though. That would be fun. I’m really looking forward to using the sweet Italian sausage this time and expect a noticeable flavor difference. If you get a chance, follow that link above from rickgregory and read Kenji’s article. It’s intense but full of good tweaks.

      #8
      Funny you should bring it up,I just watched this video earlier today!

      Comment


      • WayneT
        WayneT commented
        Editing a comment
        Cool video. When I first started making Bolognese, I was surprised to find that garlic and oregano were not included. Obviously, that was based on my stereotypical expectations about Italian cooking. I've never added garlic or strong aromatics to my Bolognese ragu because I understand it's all about the meat. Have you cooked this recipe? What's it like?

      #9
      If you dice the carrots small enough, they will probably just disintegrate while simmering. I like the idea of sausage, but love the lamb! Looking forward to the finished dish.

      Comment


      • WayneT
        WayneT commented
        Editing a comment
        I've been to an Italian restaurant in Charlotte (Luce) that makes their Bolognese with shredded carrots. Personally, I prefer the overall ragu texture with diced rather than shredded carrots but my wife prefers the opposite. She told me she once had a bad childhood experience with carrots so more often now can leave them rather than take them.

      #10
      Country ribs and neck bones work really well.

      Comment


      • WayneT
        WayneT commented
        Editing a comment
        I think that's more authentic than using the sausage. There's a huge pork farm/butcher shop about 2 hours from me that has everything from a pig you could ever want. I may make a trip there soon to explore neck bones and other options.

        Nahunta Pork Center is proud to offer the freshest pork in Raleigh, NC. Come visit us today if you're looking for quality pork sausage or pork bacon!

      • troymeister
        troymeister commented
        Editing a comment
        Neck bones are the best. The meat is sweeter than baby back ribs. The bones simmered for 3-4 hours impart a delicious flavor. I can send you my Pork Ragu recipe I have been working on for a few years now.
        Last edited by troymeister; August 2, 2022, 08:33 AM.

      • WayneT
        WayneT commented
        Editing a comment
        troymeister Please do. I'm always looking for ways to improve things.

      #11
      Regarding the video I posted, there are two tips in there that I think fit your stated plans, and that you can use with any recipe.

      First, I think that browning the meat in the oven is a revelation. I think that is how I will always do my ground meats for sauces, from now on.

      Second, using the food processor to almost emulsify (but not quite) the vegetables. That includes pulverizing those carrots! I love carrots, but I’m not a fan of carrot chunks in red sauce, either. And, Mrs Mosca doesn’t want any visible onions in hers.

      He has a third tip that doesn’t apply to this recipe, but which I am going to use going forward: making your own ground beef using a food processor. I’m not going to buy a meat grinder, and dig it out, and clean it after, for a couple cheeseburgers. But I will toss a pound of boneless chuck or short rib, or brisket trimmings, into the food processor, and put the bowl and blades in the dishwasher!
      Last edited by Mosca; August 2, 2022, 01:42 PM.

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        #12
        Italian Night

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        The ingredients.

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        Sauteing the onions.

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        Sauteing the mire poix.

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        After the ground beef and sweet Italian sausage have been added and browned.

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        Whole milk added.

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        After boiling off the milk, about a 1/4 tsp of fresh nutmeg added then some dry white wine.

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        Boiling off the wine.

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        Tomatoes added.

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        Simmering for 3+ hours or as long as you can.

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        I didn't want to change too many variables on this cook and I had already used the sweet sausage instead of pork. rickgregory suggested the fish sauce and after I watched Kenji's video, I had to try it. What a game changer!! This not only adjusted the ragu for salt, it also amped up the umami/savoriness of it. I thought of using Anchovy paste, which would probably have achieved the same result, but went with the fish sauce instead.

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        Found some locally made pasta from the farmer's market.

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        Two nests of Tagliatelle into the water.

        Comment


        • mnavarre
          mnavarre commented
          Editing a comment
          Yup, I smush a few anchovy fillets in just before the mirepoix is done and adjust seasoning with fish sauce at the end.

        • Dadof3Illinois
          Dadof3Illinois commented
          Editing a comment
          Instead of using the fish sauce....try adding 3 anchovies when you add the carrots. They will melt right into the sauce and adds a deeper fresh flavor IMO.

        #13
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        Put it all together and you have pasta Bolgnese.

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        Accompanied with Burrata (buffalo mozzarella) salad.

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        Paired with a Brunello.

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        And, it's dining al fresco at the Turner house for the first time in 2 weeks despite the humidity and insects.

        Takeaways: I will definitely use fish sauce or anchovy paste in any future Bolognese cook. I'll also continue to use the sweet Italian sausage even though there was more rendered fat during the cook than any one before. Next time I'll also char the tomatoes and then reconstitute them as suggested by grantgallagher above. That should intensify the flavor of the tomatoes. Overall, it was a delicious ragu, one of my best.

        Comment


          #14
          Mince a half pound or so of chicken livers into your three-ish pounds of meats. This from an otherwise liver hater (fois gras excepted). Seriously. You’re welcome.

          Comment


          • WayneT
            WayneT commented
            Editing a comment
            I used to eat beef liver and onions, I love foie gras so I’m not put off by this idea. Saw it used in one of the videos posted above. Thank you?

          #15
          My version is post#80 here:

          The snow's melting and the birds are migrating north and the flowers are popping up, it's time for a change... Welcome to Show Us What You're Cooking Volume 25, Spring 2022! Here's a link to the past SUWYC 24 (Winter 2021/2022) https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...nter-2021-2022 (https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/food


          Basically used the Kenji recipe rickgregory posted.

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