The Best Bolognese Sauce - The Defined Dish - Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best ground beef for Bolognese sauce? ›

Select your ideal meat

Bolognese is most often made with either ground beef or veal. Ground beef chuck with 20 percent fat will make an excellent start for a flavorful sauce. Many recipes also recommend throwing in some ground pork for an additional meaty taste, and pork shoulder is a good choice for this application.

What mince is best for bolognese? I like to use beef and pork; a half and half ratio works well. Adding pork gives that extra flavour from the higher fat content. Some people looking for a healthier option could try turkey mince as it is a low-fat meat, but I'm a purist, so I'll stick with the classics!

But to me, the biggest difference when compared to the tomato-heavy meat sauce I grew up with, is that Ragù Bolognese uses milk, white wine and notably less tomatoes. The milk tenderizes the meat and mellows out any tart, acidic notes. The flavor is soft, light and slightly sweet! That's the selling point.

Even though both are considered meat sauces and are thusly chunky, ragù is more like a thick tomato sauce with recognizable bits of ground beef within it. Bolognese, though, is creamier and thicker because it is made with milk. It is not considered to be a tomato sauce.

The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time. This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.

Usually no. But putting (a very small bit) of sugar or even a tiny pinch of baking soda in the tomato sauce can help if it is too acidic, but this is only done if the person cooking it is really in a rush.

According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”. She adds: “It also makes the mince meat nice and tender, creating that melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.”

Just add seasoning and the flavour will be completely different from what you're used to. You can add various herbs, too. Try a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs (added at the start) or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano (added towards the end) in the meat sauce.

Take your time with the Bolognese sauce. Allow it to simmer slowly, at a low temperature, to allow the flavors to fully develop and intensify. This slow-cooking process is essential for achieving the rich, complex taste that makes Bolognese sauce so distinctive.

Should you put butter in bolognese? ›

Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well. Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper.

The best onion to use would be a yellow onion or sweet onion. By slowly sauteing and caramelizing the onion, bringing out its natural sweetness, you will balance out that acidic flavor of the tomatoes and bring a more mellow rounded flavor to the sauce.

Tagliatelle: Tagliatelle is a long, ribbon-like pasta that is wider than fettuccine but narrower than pappardelle. Its wide surface area and slightly curled edges make it perfect for holding the rich Bolognese sauce.

Whereas true Bolognese is just as much about the aromatic base of vegetables as it is the meat, Italian-American versions are very meat-heavy (and often use red wine) and more reminiscent of southern Italian dishes.

Whereas true Bolognese is just as much about the aromatic base of vegetables as it is the meat, Italian-American versions are very meat-heavy (and often use red wine) and more reminiscent of southern Italian dishes.

Ground Beef that is not less than 70% lean (usually a 73/27 or 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio) is used for burgers and in recipes calling for browning (crumbles) and pouring off drippings, such as chili, tacos and spaghetti sauce. When properly cooked, it is moist and juicy.

Ground chuck has a richer, beefier flavor and juicier texture than ground beef made from leaner cuts, like ground round or ground sirloin. This is due to the higher marbling in the chuck roast, which adds more fat and flavour to the beef if you're looking for a beefier taste and juicer meat in your dishes.

Italian ragù alla bolognese is a slowly cooked meat-based sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising.