Why does restaurant Bolognese taste better than mine?

[Hemulen]

MypinchofItaly probably knows best. The wife of a distant female family member - a wonderful rough tomboy with huge, imperceptible nuts - is an institutional kitchen cook although she's now involved in performing arts. She gave me this Ragù alla Bolognese recipe (with white wine, no milk nor beef stock/broth) which may represent a rather common "restaurant version"; (cooked in ten-fold batches):

Ragù alla Bolognese

​

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I've tried them all, but lately, I use Campbells Real Beef Stock.

I brown the mince on a high flame till it's dry, but not burned. Maybe I should get bit more colour on it?

Yes. Not too much of course or the meat will become chewy or hard.

 

[vernplum]

MypinchofItaly probably knows best. The wife of a distant female family member - a wonderful rough tomboy with huge, imperceptible nuts - is an institutional kitchen cook although she's now involved in performing arts. She gave me this Ragù alla Bolognese recipe (with white wine, no milk nor beef stock/broth) which may represent a rather common "restaurant version"; (cooked in ten-fold batches):

Ragù alla Bolognese​

Ingredients​

​

Love and passion​

3 celery stalks​

4 carrots​

2 onions​

Enough evoo to fill the kitchen​

600 g (high-fat) minced beef​

100 g pancetta (or bacon)​

150 ml dry white Italian wine​

70 g tomato purée​

1500 ml tomato passata​

Lots (and lots) of salt​

Instructions

Dice and sauté the veggies (soffrito) in plenty of evoo on medium heat. Turn up the heat, add the beef and cook until browned. Add the sliced pancetta and cook for a couple of minutes. Revert to medium heat, add the white wine and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for at least two hours. Add a sacrilegious amount of salt and serve with tagliatelle.

Thanks - that's pretty much the same ingredient list (slightly differing quantities and less tomato) with the exception that this recipe doesn't have milk.

 

[MypinchofItaly]

MypinchofItaly probably knows best. The wife of a distant female family member - a wonderful rough tomboy with huge, imperceptible nuts - is an institutional kitchen cook although she's now involved in performing arts. She gave me this Ragù alla Bolognese recipe (with white wine, no milk nor beef stock/broth) which may represent a rather common "restaurant version"; (cooked in ten-fold batches):

Ragù alla Bolognese​

Ingredients​

​

Love and passion​

3 celery stalks​

4 carrots​

2 onions​

Enough evoo to fill the kitchen​

600 g (high-fat) minced beef​

100 g pancetta (or bacon)​

150 ml dry white Italian wine​

70 g tomato purée​

1500 ml tomato passata​

Lots (and lots) of salt​

Instructions

Dice and sauté the veggies (soffrito) in plenty of evoo on medium heat. Turn up the heat, add the beef and cook until browned. Add the sliced pancetta and cook for a couple of minutes. Revert to medium heat, add the white wine and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for at least two hours. Add a sacrilegious amount of salt and serve with tagliatelle.

Sorry but 'enough Evoo to fill the kitchen'.... mmm
Lots and lots salt? mmmm
The veggies have to cook gently on a low flame.

 

[medtran49]

I read an article once where a lot of chefs use chicken liver to give it that rich, meaty umami taste, then saw a TV show where a chef did as well. I came up with a multi meat Bolognese recipe that I've been working on for a few years (it makes a LOT and is very meaty and rich so doesn't get made often). It has ground beef, ground turkey, hot and mild Italian sausage, bacon/pancetta, chicken thighs and livers, and basically takes a whole day to make. Craig really, really likes it. I like it, but it's a bit rich for me since my tastes are moving away from dishes like this.

 

[flyinglentris]

My 2 cents. You have the Beef and Pork mixture which I would look for, but what I don't see discussed is a particular sweetener - a Red Wine. The Sauce ought to be simmered for an hour or more to allow flavors to mix and and distill down the wine to a sweeter, but multi-flavored additive, with its Currant, Oak, etc. flavors.

 

[PabloLerntKochen]

I like to roast the tomatoesauce as well, until it gets brown from the roast stuff, but not to much. Stay healthy

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I read an article once where a lot of chefs use chicken liver to give it that rich, meaty umami taste, then saw a TV show where a chef did as well. I came up with a multi meat Bolognese recipe that I've been working on for a few years (it makes a LOT and is very meaty and rich so doesn't get made often). It has ground beef, ground turkey, hot and mild Italian sausage, bacon/pancetta, chicken thighs and livers, and basically takes a whole day to make. Craig really, really likes it. I like it, but it's a bit rich for me since my tastes are moving away from dishes like this.

Gosh. Sorry but this is not Ragù alla Bolognese, it's something that try to be a sort of.
No criticism, but as Italian....well, you know

 

[MypinchofItaly]

My 2 cents. You have the Beef and Pork mixture which I would look for, but what I don't see discussed is a particular sweetener - a Red Wine. The Sauce ought to be simmered for an hour or more to allow flavors to mix and and distill down the wine to a sweeter, but multi-flavored additive, with its Currant, Oak, etc. flavors.

I was getting to the wine. Actually you can use either white or red wine, I'm in favour of the full-bodied red one.
The ragù should be cooked for at least 3 hours - at least.

 

[vernplum]

Yes. Not too much of course or the meat will become chewy or hard.

Maybe this could be a factor. Mine does not look as dark in colour as the restaurant ones.

 

[vernplum]

I was getting to the wine. Actually you can use either white or red wine, I'm in favour of the full-bodied red one.
The ragù should be cooked for at least 3 hours - at least.

Could be. Last few times I used white. I will try a full-bodied red next time.

 

[vernplum]

Oh - and I use a parmesan rind too.

 

[flyinglentris]

I was getting to the wine. Actually you can use either white or red wine, I'm in favour of the full-bodied red one.
The ragù should be cooked for at least 3 hours - at least.

You can also sharpen the sweetness of a Sauce with a touch of Balsamic Vinegar. Milk in a red Sauce, to my mind, reduces it's punch. The Dairy thing, I would add as grated Cheese at serving - a sharp Cheese, of course, like Parmesan, Romano or Asiago.

 

[PabloLerntKochen]

What about the herbs and spices? I always put some bay leaves in it, and like it with a bit of basil or oregano as well. Stay healthy

 

[medtran49]

Gosh. Sorry but this is not Ragù alla Bolognese, it's something that try to be a sort of.
No criticism, but as Italian....well, you know

Okay. But the chef said it was a replica of a dish he had from an Italian lady while he was working in Italy... he was either in Firenza or Milano, I don't remember which