Following the Region’s origin of the recipe, pair with a lively Lambrusco from Emilia; but if you prefer still wines, opt for a Sangiovese di Romagna.
Bologna-style ragout
Like most traditional recipes, the Bologna-style ragout has some small variations passed down from family to family.
Difficulty: easy
Method: 20
Cooking: 150
Difficulty: easy
Method: 20
Cooking: 150
Method
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01 / Prepare the vegetables
Clean and peel the vegetables
Cut them into small cubes
Pour them into a saucepan with a little extra virgin olive oil and let them stew
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02 / Add the meat
Add the bacon and turn up the heat
Add the beef and pork and brown them
Add the white wine and let it evaporate
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03 / Add the other ingredients
Tie up the herbs with a string
Add the bunch of herbs, the tomato pulp and paste
Add Vegetable stock to cover everything
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04 / Continue cooking
After at least an hour, add the milk
Add salt and pepper to taste
Let it cook for another hour and a half at least
At the end of cooking, remove the bunch of herbs
Wine pairing
If you do not have time to finish cooking in one session, you may interrupt it: so, put the ragout in the fridge and finish cooking it the next day.
Do not underestimate the importance of meat:
Do not use lean meat, but rich in connective tissue and suitable for long cooking times.
Mix beef with pork
The sauté must be carefully prepared:
Do not cut vegetables with a cutter as this reduces them to a pulp.
Cut the vegetables by hand into cubes no larger than those of the meat.
Do not cook the vegetables and meat at the same time: the vegetables should cook on a low heat and when you add the meat, turn up the heat to brown it. Then continue cooking over an extremely low heat.
Do not be in a hurry to remove the meat sauce from the heat: a good meat sauce should cook for at least 2 and a half hours, so do not be afraid to leave it for longer, always cooking it on an extremely low heat. If it dries out, add some broth a bit at a time to avoid the risk of having a ragout that is too liquid.
If you wish, you can keep the ragout covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
If you have leftover ragout, you can freeze it in small portions and defrost the right amount when you need it.
Like most traditional recipes, the Bologna-style ragout has some small variations passed down from family to family.
The ingredients listed are those that respect the original recipe the most, but there are also versions that include other ingredients like
Red wine instead of white wine
Sausage or prosciutto instead of pancetta
Dried mushrooms
Meat stock instead of vegetable stock
The exclusive use of tomato paste
In Italy, there are several ragout versions that are different from the Bologna-style one, including the use of different types of meat. In the Alps it is common to use deer meat, in central Italy wild boar meat, and there is duck ragout on Lake Garda.
Ingredients for 4 people
500 g minced beef
300 g minced pork
80 g pork belly (pancetta), diced
100 ml white wine
100 ml fresh whole milk
1 bunch of sage, rosemary, and bay leaves
400 g of tomato pulp
20 g of tomato paste
300 g celery, carrots, and onions
Vegetable stock
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Wine pairing
Following the Region’s origin of the recipe, pair with a lively Lambrusco from Emilia; but if you prefer still wines, opt for a Sangiovese di Romagna.