Phew, that last post felt a bit heavy. So to lighten things up a bit, here’s how to make the greatest bolognese or ragú or meat sauce, or whatever you want to call it. Same technique applies to Danish-style chili con carne, or any other meat-and-tomato-based dish.
- Lots of heat. Really fry the meat. Minced ox meat will release a lot of liquid, and if you don’t remove it, the temperature won’t raise above boiling, and the meat won’t get caramelized, and the caramelization is where all the richness comes from. So I remove the liquid with a spoon to get the meat to really fry at high temperature, and then I add the liquid back in later, because after all it’ll have more flavor than plain water which is what I’d have to add otherwise.
- Lots of salt. Tomatoes love salt. It’s hard to put too much salt in. Put it in early, so it can really get deep inside that tomato sauce.
- Lots of fat, and different kinds. I use olive oil, pancetta, which also has a bit of fat, a slab of duck fat, and a dollop of butter. Fat pulls out the flavor. I also pour extra god olive oil over the finished dish, it really gives it that final kick.
- Lots of time. I put it in the oven at 180C/350F for as long as I can up to 6 hours. I try to get at least 3 hours. Something dramatic happens to the tomatoes after about 3 hours, where all the flavors just go wham!
The secret to all great flavors is the five tastes: Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Keep those in mind when you adjust the flavor, right before putting it in the oven.
Bon apetit!
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