The Chef Way Ragu

270 mins
Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Slowly render the pancetta in olive oil.
  2. 2Gently sweat the onion, carrot, and celery until pale and sweet, with no color.
  3. 3Add the finely grated garlic in the final 1-2 minutes of sweating the vegetables, then remove the sofrito.
  4. 4Cook the beef mince on high heat to release and evaporate all the water content.
  5. 5Keep working the mince in the pan to break up any clumps and caramelize it deeply to a dark brown color, scraping the fond.
  6. 6Add the diced pork belly.
  7. 7Stir in the tomato purée and cook it until it reaches a deep red-brown color.
  8. 8Add the first portion of milk to soften the meat fibers and let it fully absorb.
  9. 9Deglaze with red wine, turn up the heat slightly, and reduce the wine by 50%.
  10. 10Add the sofrito back into the pan.
  11. 11Add the tomato passata, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and a pinch of nutmeg.
  12. 12Top up the mixture with chicken or beef stock.
  13. 13Cover and cook in the oven at 120°C / 250°F for approximately 4½ hours.
  14. 14Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves.
  15. 15Add the second portion of milk to add roundness and bring the sauce together.
  16. 16Add a few knobs of cold butter to finish, for gloss and richness.
  17. 17Finish with gastrique to balance acidity and season to taste.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef mince (50% shin, 50% chuck)
  • 400 g pork belly, diced
  • 100 g pancetta, diced
  • 200 g onion, finely diced
  • 150 g carrots, finely diced
  • 150 g celery, finely diced
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 to 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 to 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 80 g tomato purée
  • 400 g passata
  • 200 ml red wine
  • 1 cup total whole milk (added in two stages)
  • 500 ml chicken or beef stock
  • 1 Parmesan rind
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 0 to taste salt
  • 2 to 3 tbsp cold butter
  • 0 as needed extra milk
  • 100 g balsamic vinegar
  • 50 g sugar

Equipment

panoven

Tips

  • For maximum flavor, break up the mince as much as possible to achieve maximum surface area for browning.
  • Browning the meat deeply is crucial, as 80% of the ragu's flavor comes from this caramelization.
  • Caramelize the tomato puree until it turns a deep red-brown color for enhanced flavor.
  • Adding milk in two stages (Massimo Bottura's and Marco Pierre White's methods) helps tenderize the meat and brings the sauce together.
  • Reduce the red wine by 50% to concentrate flavors and clean the bottom of the pan.
  • Keep Parmesan rinds and add them to the ragu for a natural MSG boost.
  • Cook the ragu for a long time at a low temperature; the longer the better, ideally 4 and a half hours at 120°C / 250°F.
  • Finish with milk and cold butter for gloss and roundness.
  • Control your color to ensure a structured, not heavy, ragu.