The official formula for ragù alla bolognese was first established by the regional delegation of the Italian Academy of Cuisine at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.
Though the Academy itself has even proposed an updated version that provides for using alternative cuts of beef to the recipe (i.e. the muscular part of the diaphragm). In fact, you can use cuts like the flank steak, beef shoulder or chuck roast instead.
This recipe also allows you to replace five tablespoons of tomato sauce or 1 oz of tomato paste with fresh tomatoes – puréed or peeled.
The recipe’s method, however, remains unchanged: after initially browning the bacon, vegetables and meat, you will need to cook slowly for quite a while.
Original Recipe: Ragù alla bolognese
11 oz ground beef, 2 oz carrot, 1 oz onion, 5 oz pancetta, 4 oz tomato sauce, 2 oz celery, White wine, Beef stock, Milk, Olive oil, Salt and pepper
Chop pancetta (or bacon if you can't find pancetta). Peel and finely chop celery, carrot and onion. Cook pancetta in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of oil then add the vegetables and let them wither gently. Add the meat and brown for five more minutes. Blend the meat with half a glass of white wine and let it evaporate completely. Add the tomato purée and stir for two minutes. Cover the meat with broth and half a glass of milk. Cook for about two to two-and-a-half hours – soaking the mixture occasionally with more broth and season with salt and pepper.
Our tips for the perfect ragù alla bolognese!
The soffritto
Vegetables should be withered over a low heat so they maintain their original colors and nutrients.
Meat selection
The base of the meat sauce is beef! The traditional cut? Flank steak located near the diaphragm.
Pancetta
Some replace it (in part or fully) with prosciutto crudo.
Tomatoes
You can use tomato paste, a pre-made sauce, purée or even peeled tomatoes!
White wine
Add as you brown the meat. It helps drain excess fat from the meat.
Milk
Added after the tomato, this helps balance out the acidity.
Cream
For this recipe, add fresh cream at the end of cooking if you like for some extra richness. It is forbidden to thicken the sauce with extra flour, however: the ragù must condense and shrink on its own!
Tomato Paste
If you use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce, dilute 20-30g paste with a ladle of broth and then add it to the meat sauce. Cook without lid to evaporate.
Cooking
For the meat sauce, an earthenware pan would be ideal, which slowly and steadily conducts the heat. However, a thick-bottomed steel saucepan is suitable.
How to preserve ragù
Once cooked, the meat ragù can be stored for 5-6 days sealed in the refrigerator. It can also be prepared in large quantities and then frozen in ready-to-use portions that can last up to three months.