On request today I'll give you my recipe of Bolognese sauce.
I told "my" because every cook got his/her version.
"Ragu'" is one of the recipes that if you ask 10 different persons you'll have 10 different versions.
I'll try to give you all the best advices, this version is the one I've learnt from my mum and my mum from my grandma so it's fully tested, of course it could be different from your expectations or wants or habits but I can assure it's 100% Italian^^.
The preparation is quite long even if not so difficult so I usually prepare a lot of sauce then freeze it in little aluminium containers: so I can take it for lunch/dinner whenever I want, it can rest in freezer for about 2 months (or you can give a little to mum, to mother in law, to friends...Get rid of ragu' is not so difficult^^).
You need:
a large pot,
e.v.o oil,
one carrot,
one celery stick,
one little white onion,
7 oz. of beef minced meat,
3 1/2 oz. of pork minced meat,
3 1/2 oz. sausage meat without skin,
a tube of tomato concentrate (if you find it)
a bottle of tomato sauce,
2 cups of skimmed milk.
Mince carrot onion and celery together, put them in the pot, add abundant e.v.o. oil and let it get hot and fry for one minute.
add the three kind of meat in the pot, probably the meat will be in a block, you must have the patient to "cut" it with a wood spoon mixing and mixing and mixing.
Boring but important.
When the meat is well mixed and starts to become white add skimmed milk.
You have to cover all the content of the pot so pur it^^.
Why milk?
Because it gives a sweet aftertaste that support perfectly the taste of meat and vegetables that is quite strong.
If you can't use milk or think it will not your taste add 2 glasses of white wine.
The Bolognese will be a little bit more bitter according to me, but it's so individual!
Let it boil on low fire for about 10 minutes then add tomato concentrate, mix well, then add salsa, the whole bottle if the sauce is quite "hard", less if it's liquid.
Count it must boil on very low fire for at least three hours, so the most part of the liquid will be absorbed.
Taste it and add the right quantity of salt.
Mix sometimes, it doesn't need a lot of attention if the fire is low.
You can use a fire net on the cooker to expand heat.
When the time is over let it cold and divide in container.
Freeze the part you don't use in the next 2 days, put the rest in the fridge.
What is the best pasta to use ragu'?
Egg noodles!
You can use maccheroni or penne anyway, spaghetti "alla bolognese" is something a bolognese person would never eat:P but if you like eat your spaghetti and be happy:D .
(don't forget to mix pasta with the sauce, don't simply pur it on top of the dish leaving the most part white...it's so sad!
And add a sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan on top!)
Today is time for a first course recipe.
