Ragu / Bolognese

Water Cooler
#1

Just wondering if people from different areas have different recipes for their ragu / bolognese/ chilli…I cooked an immense one last night… one that I’ve not really done before. I know that Americans are pretty keen on their chilli so please feel free to throw in a recipe idea…

My bolognese from last night:

Ingredients: Onion, celery, carrot, tomato pasata, garlic, 2 short ribs (bone in) and a few diced chicken liver, small glass of white wine, anchovie paste, tomato paste, small bit of beef stock

The method is pretty self intuitive, but FYI anyways; Brown the beef, set it aside, sweat the veg and throw in the liver, boil off the wine, add the tomato, tomato paste, anchovie paste and then put the beef back in. Wait for 3hr, shred the beef, remove the bone place beef back in and warm through.

I left it in the fridge to cool and will let you know how it tastes!!!

#2

Bolognese is a meat sauce, you’re talking about chilli. My Italian mother-in-law would probably hit you with a wooden spoon. And Ragu is a crappy brand of tomato sauce.

#3

^ Your Italian MIL is going to hit you with a wooden spoon for not knowing that a ragu is a meat-based sauce.

#4

Speaking of male chauvinist…not sure that this is the exact recipe of what I’ve had in the past, but it’s got to be close.

Basically, an even more hearty, meaty version of chili.

http://www.food.com/recipe/chili-male-chauvinist-chili-367221

#5

https://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/921

this is what i use. pretty darn delicious. but only for pork eaters.

#6

Ragu is a crappy brand of tomato sauce. But it is also a meat based tomato sauce too. Some Italian MIL don’t know shiz

#7

Yup I’d def. get the wooden spoon. Stop capitalizing ragu then if its just a another term for meat sauce. Admitedly Im Irish - Polish - German so Im not the authority other than I love to eat it

#8

I cooked Bolognese in Bologna Italy around Christmas last year with an 86 year old relative of my girlfriend. The relation still isn’t clear, something like a 3rd great aunt maybe. Anyways, that second recipe sounds about right, but I believe the beef we used was veal. Amazing.

I think ragu just means sauce in Italian. It doesn’t refer to any particular kind. I could be wrong though.

#9

i’ve tried both and i do prefer the second one. richer flavour b/c of the red wine and the tomatoes add some needed change in consistency/texture. veal would certainly work with the recipe and would create a more gentle flavour but is not necessary as the wine breaks down the beef pretty well.

i swear by this recipe. easily the best thing i make and it is one that the kids go crazy for. takes a bit of time (5-6 hours), but it’s the best thing to freeze and have as a quick dinner mid-week.

#10

OP didn’t capitalize ragu, unless he edited his post later. There should be an accent over the “u”, though, so maybe your MIL can let you slide this time.

I’m also of predominantly Irish descent, but went to Catholic grammar school, so all my friends growing up were either of Irish or Italian descent and ragu was a commonly used term in friends’ houses. I probably deserve the spoon too though since I said sauce instead of gravy.