Happy New H5N1 -year to everybody. You know we're in for more of the same-old same-old shite, right? As my doctor told me last time: Eat healthy, homemade, food from fresh produce, and make certain you get enough Vitamin D..
I made a lasagna bolognese using your recipes for Christmas dinner. The family said they had never tasted anything so good! Thanks for helping me bring traditional Italian flavor to a small town in Minnesota!
We - an European-American family - had a 4+ hour Bolognese on the last day of the year. Not only the kids loved it. I kept to the basic authentic recipe. More or less just as David and you did. Why change a winning team. Simple and always works out. No garlic, sofritto first, pork/beef/veal, wine, pasatta, tomato paste, peeled tomatoes, season in moderation during cooking, water over the 4 hours, some milk at the very end. Papardelle. American and British chefs often over-complicate things but sell it well. I love to learn the selling part... Happy New Year and thank you for your teaching! Helped a lot in bringing delicious dishes on our table. Not just recipes but understanding the concept.
British chefs? If you mean Ramsay et al, they're either using complex French techniques or just trying something gimmicky (as you said...) Contemporary British cooking is much more similar to the Italian approach: use the best quality ingredients, prepare them with great care, but always keep things simple Note: British cuisine is absolutely first class these days. The bad-old-days are largely behind us
@@granitesevan6243 Indeed. I meant Ramsay&friends and referred to TV and show cooks - they were trained the French way and add the British touch (peas in Carbonara...). Britain has however become a real food country over the last decades.
@@Eunegin23 Thanks for recognising it. So many people still lean into the lazy stereotypes about British food. The austerity of the war years during the early 20th century cast a long shadow on our food culture (every calorie counted and the pleasure of food always came second). Since then, our population has grown and diversified, which has brought new influences and impetus. We also began to look outwards more at our neighbours and dared to think that if they can celebrate their food heritage, then so can we. Not wanting to be negative, but French food has really taken a turn for the worse in the last 20 years. It's still very decent, but relies on the mythology surrounding it too much. They've also allowed American fast food influence to creep in - something they resisted so well for so long. Italy is still about the best place for food. That boot is a perfect little ecosystem. Just isolated enough to preserve its culture, but also open enough to retain its flexibility, which is the reason the food became so great in the first place. Anyway, I'm rambling now... 😂 Cheers!
@@granitesevan6243 100% on your page. We also don't have the best food-reputation here but it's often about stereotypes as you said. Some might be true but often they aren't (anymore). Viele Grüße aus Berlin.
I also brown my meat first and then remove it and add it back afterwards. The reason for this is that it's the only way to truly brown the meat and get the Maillard reaction that makes the meat more flavourful. When you put in the meat raw after your sofrito, it never really browns - it just stews.
@@ApathyBM I don't understand. I still do the full sofrito, so I don't lose the taste of the carrots and celery. I used to put my meat in and cook it right after the sofrito, but I find that browning the meat separately has more flavor.
@@bringer666 It has "more" flavor but a different flavor. You don't always have to stack flavor on top of flavor, which is why bolognese doesn't use garlic or herbs either since they will all overpower the more subtle flavors from the base ingredients. But really the main reason is textural, not browning the meat keeps it soft and ultimately the sauce is originally meant for lasagna
@damienx0x You shouldn't have to ADD moisture. If you cook the meat right, it will keep it's own moisture. And I want my meat to taste like meat. Not tomato paste or wine.
I was working on house, painting it, a few decades ago, I worked late and the lady who employed me, an Australian woman invited me to eat a spaghetti Bolognese she was cooking. That was 53 years ago and it was the most amazing taste I ever experienced. I have never experienced anything like it ever since, the memory is in the taste.
@@realpoetics hahahaha I was waiting for a comment like that!😄😄 I was 20 and she was in her 40s, so I didn't think about it but I remembered her daughter was to die for.
Browning the meat caramelizes the meat surface bringing out complex sugar molecules that adds flavor to the sauce. Which otherwise would not happen if you boiled it from 1 to 500 hours in tomato sauce. Plus you can remove the meat, drain out the excess fat that comes out of the meat.
I’m not sure you understand what he said about that. All he said was the soffritto should go in and cook first, then the meat should be added to it to brown. He didn’t say you should cook the meat from raw in the tomato.
@@hazridge I have seen all of his bolognese recipe videos and he does not “brown” the meat. He cooks it until it’s brown technically but he’s not browning it in the sense the original comment is stating(actually searing it). If you were to do that with the sofrito in the pan it would burn the onions. Not saying it’s right or wrong, seems a lot of bolognese recipes don’t go for that true browning
I like the guy from "not another cooking show" approach to Bolognese: He cooks the minced sofritto first low and slow for 15-20 mins (to evaporate the liquid and intensify the flavour), and then "caramelize" the meat, then caramelize the tomate paste, and then deglaze the whole thing with red wine and reduce. By using those steps you create several layers of maillard reaction/browning and building up layers of flavours. He doesn't use tomatoes, but personally I like to throw in boxed tomatoes after those steps and cook for min 4 hours before adding a little whole milk or heavy cream at the end.
You're still wrong about browning the meat beforehand. It's not about making sure the meat cooks through, it's about the Maillard reaction on the meat, adding that lovely dark flavor both to the meat itself and in creating a fond on the bottom of the pot. It's the same reason I roast my sofrito vegetables before I put them in the pot, with a goal of getting some browning and a little bit of char.
I believe the logic of searing the beef first is to 1. Build up fond on the pot 2. harness some additional flavor from the Meyard reaction Unfortunately, the way she crammed the pot prevents a good fond or sear from forming... Generally, I see it done in smaller batches when trying to brown the meat first.
@@Eunegin23 its only dominant if you use too much. If you use it as a balance it doesnt overpower the dish, it enhances it. Korean and Chinese cooking almost always uses garlic and the its definitely not the same flavor undertone in every dish
@@realpoetics Italian is Italian and not Asian. Ask around in Italy when garlic is used and when it isn't. This doesn't mean that you are not free to put into your food whatever makes you happy.
Does it change the flavor of the recipe and make it inaccurate? Absolutely. I really don't understand this all-American mania of throwing garlic into every Italian recipe.
I am Italian and I have no idea what this lady is making but is not anything I know where is the wine? In the wrong order. I use white wine but red is ok. The milk you can add Last and not so much also if you make a lasagne you can add in some béchamel to the sauce at the end. Not the way i was taught.
Are you suggesting to caramelize the sofrito? I sauté it until the onions are clear, and then move on to the next step. I must say, doesn’t seem like enough tomato in this recipe. Anyway, happy new year everyone and let’s see where Vincenzo takes us this year!
I love the fact that you said "You don't need that much salt in your life". People seem to go crazy over salt. I've RARELY salted anything I cooked, and it always tasted great. Yes, it does bring out the flavor more, I agree, but it does also bring out water retention issues, as well as high blood pressure issues, headaches from dehydration and things like strokes as well.
Without commenting on whether it improves the dish or not, if one wants to brown the meat and is using typical US-sourced meat, it needs to be done before the sofrito. There is a lot of water in much of US-sourced meat and you need to steam that off before the sofrito or you won't saute the sofrito, you'll steam it. Pasta Grammar has mentioned this more than once. I should watch the whole thing before commenting. Parmesan rind doesn't melt away completely unless you cut it up into rather small pieces. I learned about rind-in-ragu from Kenji and anything more than probably .5cm dice is still present at the end. I'm usually using 2x2x1cm chunks and they're there at the end of even 6 hours. It is well worth it as the braised rind is AMAZING [bold, underline].
Tomato paste first to cook out the acidity of the paste, then the wine. The wine will be in there for four hours so you don’t need to cook out the alcohol, after four hours there will be no alcohol left.
Another great reaction video Vincenzo. I think she should have seared off the meat, set it aside then make the Saffrito, the add the meat back in to add more flavour to the meat. I also liked when she added the cheese rind to the sauce to give it a smoother texture. All In all l thought it was a good sauce. Again great video Vincenzo. Have yourself a Happy New Year Vincenzo 🍾🥂🎊🎉
Happy new year to all! @Vincenzo: I really like your reactions. Have you thought about not only reacting to recipes, but cooking and therefore tasting them yourself as well? I think this way you could give even better insights.
@@vincenzosplatePersonally I first caramelise the sofrito, put it aside but I keep the oil it was cooked in. Then I brown the meat in that oil, add the sofrito back in, deglaze with wine, cook until it's evaporated and then I continue with your recipe. The only other thing I change is I cook it in a slow cooker for 12 hours.
kosher salt is less dense and doesn't have any additives. it's recommended because you're less likely to oversalt your food due to that density, and it's only called 'kosher' salt because it used to be more widely used by jews than other demographics.
@@hrfnsI am lollling at your answer. Additives? To salt? Rofl. I mean how can you add additives to a natural food preservative. Table salt and any type of salt is just NaCl. And what are you talking about density? You sound like you are repeating stuff without understanding them.
@@hrfns I'd really like to see Sodium Chloride with 'additives' - Is it an American thing that you can't even have salt without some mega-corporation watering it down with, erm, what? Sand, maybe? Sawdust? Ooh - heroin - that'd be a good one. "Pure table salt - Now with added diacetylmorphine - Helps you sleep soundly., Might be a bit side-effecty."
He was not suggesting you don't brown the meet at all; he was saying you don't have to brown, remove, soffritto, add the meat back in and brown again ...... which she did not end up doing, she just browned the meet first which is also incorrect.
@joesteel7837 i think the pedants are the ones who think they need to tell Vincenzo that browning meat matters. And maybe the ones who feel a need to point out typos.
@skmsw touchè on the second point. But with regards to the first, it matters a lot. It makes a big difference to the flavour and finish of the product. A brown chicken stock compared to a white one is vastly different in both appearance and flavour. I respect Vincenzo, I'm not a first-time viewer, I've been a subscriber for some time and for all I may have some disagreements, they're not fundamentally enough for me to lose the aforementioned respect.
Because I’m Cajun, and we always brown meat first, and then remove and sautee the veggies in the fat, it’s what I do for bolognese, too. Also, you crisp up the meat this way.
@@theblackhand6485 I know . I should have been more clear. Wasn’t talking about cropping the bolognese meat. Just in generally in my cuisine, that’s why we brown it.
Can I ask a question Vincenzo? I have an allergy to Celery. While I follow most recipes to classic rules what would you suggest as a replacement to balance out the sofrito base for sauces?
I learned to make this sauce from a native of the Emilia-Romagna region. First cooking the vegetables, then adding the meat, then a little wine. And then cooking it VERY slowly (covered) for hours, and finally adding just enough passata to hold it together. That seems to be the basic outline for a proper ragù.
I tried about 10 different bolognese recipes. The best was Vincenzo’s one with his friend David from Bologna. Truly it is the best. No need to bother with anything else, but I will try this new one you are creating!
Browning the meat causes the maillard reaction to occur which is essentially the caramelization of protein, it creates an immense amount of flavor. Browning meat before hand will improve ANY recipe. It has nothing to do with making sure the meat is fully cooked.
This is true! Wise to brown meat first, remove then do sofritto as normal. Scientifically provides the most amount of flavor due to the amount of flavor molecules created by Maillard.
I'm curious if you would be able to pick out the browned vs non-browned in the context of a proper double-blind experiment. In other words, I would bet a lot of money that no, you wouldn't. The Maillard reaction is referenced a lot, because it is one of the few things we actually understand about cooking. There are a million other variables and chemical processes going on. We are nowhere near to understand and model what happens in the humble kitchen. It's all essentially trial and error. Regarding the Maillard reaction, it can also happen in lower temperatures, e.g. a simmering pot, not just when you fry things. It just happens to be slower at lower temperatures -- hence the long cooking time.
@@anyadatzaklatszjutuba bit of a ridiculous claim… if I gave you a steak that was properly seared(browned) and then one that was boiled, you don’t think you would notice a flavor difference in a blind taste test????
Hi folks, As an addition and explation to @Vincenzo's Plate, I would like to clarify the basic meanings and techniques of the word "Ragout/Ragù". This is a fundamental technique, along with braising. It may seem similar, but there are a few major differenes. A Ragout, or in this case a Ragù, starts with gently caramalizing the root vegetables, so they release juices and do not brown, but instead become glassy. You THEN add the cold uncooked meat to the prepared mirepoix/sofrito on a lower heat to DEGLACE the fond of the gently caramalized vegetables, and, again, repeat the process without browning the meat, but actually create a fond of both on the bottom without browning. THEN you add the wine to deglace the fond again and carefully reduce. Once it is fonded, you, in this case, add a little bit of tomato paste and TOMATOIZE the mixture. At the end you add liquid, here tomatoes, in others different stocks, such as in Ragout Fin to deglace the pan a last time before the gentle braising process beginns and you cook the dish for a long time. The result is very different from regular braised, firstly fried recipes and much more delicate and homogene. He is very right. If you'd have two different spoons to compare, you'd understand the difference. Silky and smooth without the grainy texture of fried/braised Bolognese.
Happy New Year Vincenzo! By rendering the fat from the beef, doesn't that render fat give the sofrito a better taste? It would be nice to do a blind taste of the other of what to put in first. You mentioned red wine will tenderize the beef, but I think the acidity from the tomatoes paste will do the same, no?
love the channel and love the video. I do love how "rules" don't have to follow any kind of logic. Sofrito needs to be cooked and browned but the meat does not. The Mallard reaction is not important for the meat but appears to be important for vegetables, if veggies can react that way (I don't actually know if it applies to all foods or just meat).
I only cook the Bolognese according to David. In my opinion, cooking the veggies first brings out the natural flavors which forms a good base. Salt goes in when you done cooking, the very end. As well as the milk. And if you use a good, quality Passata, you don't really have an acid issue. I'm sticking with David's recipe.
Vincenzo isn't wrong about not needing to brown ground meat. You get almost no malliard on ground meat, there's simply too much liquid released during the "browning" to create any kind of noticeable sear. People just like to throw around the term "malliard reaction" without actually knowing what it is or how to achieve it.
Just imagine this scenario for a second… you “brown” it until the moisture evaporates then keep going until it actually achieves the reaction 😮 you never had a burger that had a good sear on it?
@pipedown7969 Big difference between a burger that's seared on the outside and a bunch of broken up ground beef that's so overcooked that all of it is crispy brown.
@ no not really. It’s the same thing, it’s Maillard reaction. You can get a good amount of it without cooking every bit to a crisp…. Even doing it long enough to create a fond on the pan would make a difference. Fond is the product of Maillard reaction taking place. You are trying to say you can’t even achieve that with ground meat??
I agree with Vincenzo very much for around 4:10 I have tried it out several times myself when I make dishes where I fry up some veggies first and then cook some meat in the same pot/pan; and not just for pasta dishes, I cook that way very often. When frying the veggies FIRST and only AFTERWARDS adding the meat, I find it's really always much better. I have attempted with several types of meat (indeed ground beef, but also for example sausages that I cut into small pieces to fry) and also with just onion as a veggie or indeed the onion + celery + carrot mix (which is such an AWESOME, lovely combination, not just for pasta sauce, but for so many other things) and yeah, cooking it at the same time leads to worse results. It still works of course, it's still edible and fine, but I feel like it takes away something that it otherwise has... It's a bit tricky to say. But yeah, anyway, agreed, and very nice video! :D
I'm lazy, I just brown the meat and take it out then brown the veggies on low and add the meat back with the tomatoes, paste, wine and let it ride for hours. 🤤 Might make some this weekend.
A cast iron pan is also perfect for making carbonara and similar pastas. Cook the guanicale and then take it from the heat. The residual heat from the pan is the perfect gentle heat for cooking the cream.
You want to brown the ground beef and get a milliard reaction. Wine is added for flavor and to deglaze the pan. There should be a pork/beef meat base. Pancetra should start the whole process along with the soffrito.
I’ve started cooking bolognese based on one of your videos three years back and now I am at the point where I can point out her mistakes just as quickly as you do. Watched enough Vincenzo videos 😅 thank you for the great content
Ah this is convenient, I was gonna cook a very different "bolognese" tonight but I think I'll save it for tomorrow and make a day of it now, get it right.
I like to do the browning of every ingredients for the maillard reaction as well so I understand why she wanted to do it with the meat. But I agree, the sofrito needs to caramelise too, loose water, and it takes at least 10 minutes for them while the meat only requires 5 minutes top so it doesnt dry out. So either I would do it the classic way with the sofrito first then adding the meat, or quickly color the meat, remove it, cook the sofrito and then add the meat and the wine not long after. I guess the liter of milk was more used to rehydrate the meat rather than balance the acidity, first time I see this use of milk reduced in a recipe of bolognese. On a side note, usualy the wine takes very few minutes to loose the alcohol especialy if you use a lighter to flame it up, why do it for 20 minutes? Anyway she seems to have the good spirit for pasta recipes, just some techniques I dont understand sometimes, would still love to try her pastas.
Try this in a blind taste test. One, you cook as you usually do. The other just put all the ingredients in - brown nothing! Slow simmer the whole time until basically all the water is gone and then it will go from grey to brown as it simmers in the beef fat and the bit of olive oil you added at the start. Then add the milk once the sauce looks like hers did. I’ll bet you can’t taste the difference - I’m in Sydney. Let’s do this together Vincenzo!
@ yep. Thanks. But seriously, give it a try. Instead of getting the Maillard reaction at the start, you get it at the end. Give it a go - I only found it because I didn’t want to stand around for an hour browning everything so I risked it and then I was really surprised. I’m sure your usual way is already good. Worst comes to worst, you were right!
@@PhysioDetective How do you get Maillard reaction at the end, you can't. Put the mince beef/pork/veal in the oven on medium, come back in thirty minutes and break it up then another thirty or so and it should all be nicely browned and therefore tastier. ;)
@ if the water is evaporated and the fat and oil is still there, wouldn’t it be a Maillard reaction? The simmering changes sound from the usual bubbling to a bit of sizzling. You’ve got to try it. I then add 1/2 to 1 cup of milk per 500g of raw mince and then readjust the seasoning as needed.
I think everyone, including Italians (like myself), have to understand people cook differently and how they want to cook it. Sure we won’t agree because we grew up around Italians families that did and do things the same without change, but people cook how they want. You make it authentic how you like to cook food. It’s like how the Northern and Southern Italy cooks their food. I don’t believe in Marinara sauce. To me, it’s tomato sauce regardless how you cook it. I sometimes put fennel seeds in my sauce, other times, onion, carrots, celery, with basil. Just enjoy cooking.
One argument for using salt throughout the cooking process is to be able to accurately judge the flavors via taste tests after every step. And if it is appropriately salted in each step, you won't end up with it being too salty if you are only adding more ingredients. Beware reducing or salty ingredients, though! If you trust the recipe and yourself, feel free to just add the salt at the end.
I struggled with bland bolognese until I added salt, which brought out all the other flavours. I hadn't been using any to try and be healthier. Plus I soften my sofrito in a separate pan, because I have more than one pan(!), with a little chopped rosemary from the garden. I caramelise my beef/pork mince but might experiment just cooking in the sauce.
You could also use soy, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce or just add anchovies or a combination. They all add a good amount of umami + seasoning. I usually reach for the fish sauce in the ragu, works brilliantly.
I‘d like to know Vincenzo‘s opinion on the olive oil vs butter discussion. I’ve read that, traditionally, in Bologna - being in the North of Italy - butter would have been more likely to be used.
There is an official ragù alla bolognese recipe, published in 1982, wich everyone should know of. It is the result of a cooperation between l'Accademia Italiana della cucina and the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. In 2023 it was updated, but not significantly altered. The following is a translation of (a part of) an article in the Italian newspaper la Repubblica about the updated official 2023 recipe: "This is the renewed recipe for the real ragù alla bolognese: Ingredients and doses (for 6 people): 400 g of coarsely ground beef 50 g of sliced fresh pork pancetta (not smoked, my remark) Half an onion, about 60 g 1 medium carrot, about 60 g 1 stick of celery, about 60 g 1 glass of red or white wine 200 g of strained tomatoes 1 tablespoon of double concentrated tomato paste 1 glass of whole milk (optional) Light meat or vegetable broth (stock cubes are allowed) 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Procedure: In a saucepan (of excellent quality, heavy) non-stick or aluminum or enameled cast iron (once upon a time the earthenware pot was very popular) of 24-26 cm in diameter, melt the minced or chopped pancetta with 3 tablespoons of oil. Then, add the finely diced vegetables (do not use a mixer/food processor) and slowly fry the mixture over medium-low heat, always stirring with a wooden spoon (the onion must absolutely not take on a burnt taste). Raise the heat and add the minced meat and, always stirring carefully, cook it for about ten minutes until it "sizzles". Add the wine and let it evaporate completely until you no longer smell it, then add the tomato paste and the strained tomatoes. Continuing to mix well, pour a cup of boiling broth (you can also use just water) and cook slowly, with the pan covered, for about 2 hours (even 3 hours depending on your preferences and the meats used) adding the hot broth as needed. Halfway through cooking, according to an advisable ancient tradition, you can add the milk that must be allowed to evaporate completely. Finally, once cooking is complete, season with salt and pepper. The ragù should be a rich maroon hue, thick and glossy." I might have made some errors in translating the text (after all my first language is Swedish, not English or Italian), so I highly recommend reading the original English version of document. If you google "Ragù alla bolognese updated recipe" you should easily be able to find the full updated version of the recipe in English. Naturally, the Italian version is readily available there as well.
@vincenzosplate It's one of the world's most famous dishes for a reason. People should know the official recipe, even if they choose to deviate from it. Looking forward to your next bolognese video!
I have tried this recipe (don't knock it 'till you tried it), I left out the parmesan rind (didn't have that much parmesan lying around) and I skipped on the bay leaf. Used a mix of pork and beef, not just beef. Other than that, pretty much to the T (a bit of a caveat here, there are very few measures given on the recipe and I definitively did't use this much salt). Result: A good pasta sauce. My family's reaction: It's a bit sweeter than usual (probably the milk). I know you do not like the garlic. To me, the garlic is an optional thing - I really like adding garlic from time to time to my meat and tomato sauce (let's for simplicity's sake call them "bolgonese adjacent"), but it's something I do only about 30 % of the time. It might not be traditional, but sometimes a couple of cloves of garlic will pull it in good direction to change things up a little bit. We can agree to disagree on this one, though. :)
Yes! A good Bolognese should also have minced pork and veil. Since this is the basis of real Danish "Frikadeller", it is readily available everywhere here, often at a reduced price. As for the minced beef, don't use the lean, low-fat version. Brown the meat in the fat from the Panceta and Guanciale. And you absolutely CAN put 1 or 2 cloves of Garlic in Bolognese: It won't taste "garlicky", but adds some "depth". However: Milk???
@@hansemannluchter643 I put garlic in ragu because I like to maximise my consumption of garlic, which is exceptionally beneficial, but for no other reason.
@@RicktheRecorder I totally agree, Garlic is good for your health. But, it does add "depth" to the flavour of Bolognese, or any other ragout for that matter, even when you can't taste, or smell, it.
dont belive anything youtubers say try yourselft, i myselft say browning the meat taste better for me, this guy are these people (like vincenso here) things they know best for all the people of the world palate taste, and act like a judge what a joke the people of today
You can't overcook mince for bolognese , especially when you are going to cook it for another 4-8 hours after browning it. It doesn't change the texture at all as any texture changed while browning the meat will get broken down by the long cooking process. It's does add lots of flavour though.@@jamesjoyce5962
@vincenzosplate probably Friday or Saturday night, with fresh made pasta as well! I might have to record and post it as "worlds best bolognese," just so you can make a reaction video for it lol
Caramelizing the meat certainly DOES add flavor to any ground beef dish. Whether you are making quick tacos or cooking a 3 hour meat sauce. No clue what you're talking about.
@@vincenzosplate Me too. I understand you cook good, but I'm allowed to criticize what I disagree with. Caramelizing and actually adding some browning has been a game changer for me, and most chefs agree with this.
For those of us who love to cook for people we should NEVER use the word "BEST". The best bolognese is the one you like best. I get annoyed by people who dismiss anything that is not exactly traditional. I know the rules of traditional bolognese but still prefer to put my own twist on it and often make it differently for fun and experimentation. THAT, to me, is what cooking and eating is all about.
When i cook bolognese, i make a big pan, about 5 kilo, and i use 18 grams of salt. And i heat the wine, tomato and the milk before adding to the Meat, Just heat a little, not cooking. It's better for the Meat, and the sauce 😊
Yes, Vincenzo, we definitely want to see that Bolognese ragu recipe you mention ;) Concerning her recipe: I think the biggest fail is the garlic. Plus, obviously the fact that she doesn't properly caramelize the soffrito by making it firs. The others points I could chalk up as interpretation (I'd have to try it) and wouldn't be too strikt about them, but those two seem like obvious mistakes to me.
You say that caramelizing the meat does nothing because it's cooked for 4 hours. Isn't that principle the same for the soffritto? How come it's different for the soffritto? I personally like to caramelize both meat and soffritto. Also, she forgot the pork. I use to do it with beef only until I tried it with the pork. Now beef and pork is a must for me. Occasionally, I would also add veil or lamb.
Vincenzo is a bit mentally constrained when is comes to somethings, as much as I love him. My grandma would always go for the Maillard reaction and she was very traditional in cooking, passing down recipes from hear grandparents. Adding the tomatoe paste before to caramelise it in the meat fat does not doing anything to the wine added later and the Bolognese in general except increase those umami-rich flavours. It is a bit like his dislike for adding salt to the soffrito, where does not seem to grasp the osmotic acceleration of the cooking. Cheers to you my exquisite-tasted friend.
Personally I do the sofrito then the meat (beef+port/veal occationaly also chicken liver), then deglaze with white whine (I don't use red for this dish, if you don't want the drink the rest of the bottle use fortified wine it will keep, and always use something you would be happy to drink ), a little passata not too much, no milk, sometimes I add an anchovy it will melt an won't be fishy, jut add umami. I like it not too wet end but it shouldn't look like dog food. A non standard thing i do which is not "alla bolognese" is to add artichoke pieces in the last 10 minutes, again a ragu variation but still nice. If you have and instant pot you can reduce the cooking time without loosing moisture by partially pressure cooking. It is important that the fibres the mince break down to tender otherwise it tastes wet cardboard with less. Or you can coo the old fashioned way on the hob or in the oven
Pancetta, ground veal/beef/pork,onion,carrot,celery,salt,pepper , white wine and milk (add 1/2 hour before serving NO TOMATO.. this is a very simple meat sauce I’ve searched for the most authentic recipe. This is it . I sometimes change the recipe by adding ingredients but knowing that I have altered a most traditional authentic simple recipe. And ALWAYS, the best food is cooked in a mama’s kitchen in an Italian house with Italian ingredients.
I figured you would have issues with Chef Lish's Bolognese, but I think she does a lot of things right, personally. I would have taken the meat out, leaving the rendered beef fat behind for the sofrito, but I also would have roasted the sofrito first, like I said in my other comment. I do agree that she uses a _lot_ more milk than it seems like one should, and it does seem like it's missing a step of reducing the heat before you leave it to simmer. Maybe that's an editing mistake? And it does seem like she's saying it should be cooked uncovered, which is absolutely not what I would do. I want to retain more of the moisture for the pasta to absorb and pick up the flavors.
@vicenzosplate this isn't pertaining to the video, but with the agli olio sauce, have you ever tried it with rice instead of pasta? I just experimented and made what I would call riso agli olio
@vincenzosplate it was pretty easy to put together. You get the rice and the water together. Then you add some parsley, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, and salt if you wish and let the rice cook according to instructions. By the time the water absorbs into the rice and cooks down, the oil coats the rice and blends with the rice's starches along with the seasonings, and it's very delicious.
Vincenzo. I love your videos. But. Have you thought of trying this method of cooking.? Maybe, just maybe, it might win you over. After all, cooking techniques are constantly evolving. I think it would make a great video.
@@vincenzosplate Thank you. Looking forward to it. I cooked the bolognese you and David from Bologna made. It was fantastic. Even the pickiest eaters LOVED it! Thanks again and looking forward to the video. ☺
I'd bet that if she made her Bolognese sauce exactly as he instructed, and he was given her Bolognese and his version, he would not be able to taste any difference. Garlic, wine then tomato paste, etc., makes zero difference after 4 hours of cooking the sauce. But his Bolognese sauce is authentic. Italians from Italy, I am American Italian, get way hung up on these picayune differences in techniques that literally make NO difference in the final taste. But as the French say, se la vie.
First of all: Happy New Year, Vincenzo! May your belly be filled with great foods and may your eyes be filled with tears of joy, while watching videos of people preparing Italian food the right way/as it should be. For the past two weeks, I've ordered a brand new set of cooking pans, kitchen knives and kitchen tools, so... let the cooking begin! I've also bought a Fitbike, because, well, you know, all those calories have to be burned again. 😁
Happy New Year my friend🥂 May it be filled with beautiful moments and delicious dishes!🍝 Hahah I love your plan! Staying fit while still enjoying all the delicious food 😊
I'm not a fan of chunky sofrito. I personally think it's a must that it be blended in a mixer. And for sure the alcohol needs to be cooked out of the wine before adding any other liquids and the tomatoes.
She nailed it..... in your coffin 😂 Why are you so nice about someone who has no respect for the original recipe and claims hers the best one ever? Okay she's American and that's how they roll: best in the world without even owning a passport. Happy New Year my friend!
My first and definately not last Vincenzo's video in 2025.
Truth! 😂❤
Aw thank you so much for your support my friend! Cheers to a beautiful new year! 🥂
Happy New H5N1 -year to everybody.
You know we're in for more of the same-old same-old shite, right?
As my doctor told me last time:
Eat healthy, homemade, food from fresh produce, and make certain you get enough Vitamin D..
I concur!
@@vincenzosplate when will you react to Sam the cooking guys bolognese??? :D
I made a lasagna bolognese using your recipes for Christmas dinner. The family said they had never tasted anything so good! Thanks for helping me bring traditional Italian flavor to a small town in Minnesota!
And thank you my friend for following along and trusting in my recipes! Cheers to more delicious dishes in 2025 🥂
@@vincenzosplate the father no one asked for but we got
We - an European-American family - had a 4+ hour Bolognese on the last day of the year. Not only the kids loved it.
I kept to the basic authentic recipe. More or less just as David and you did. Why change a winning team. Simple and always works out. No garlic, sofritto first, pork/beef/veal, wine, pasatta, tomato paste, peeled tomatoes, season in moderation during cooking, water over the 4 hours, some milk at the very end. Papardelle.
American and British chefs often over-complicate things but sell it well. I love to learn the selling part...
Happy New Year and thank you for your teaching! Helped a lot in bringing delicious dishes on our table. Not just recipes but understanding the concept.
Messages like yours are my biggest motivation to keep doing what I do! Happy New Year my friend, and stay tined for more delicious recipes in 2025 🥂
British chefs? If you mean Ramsay et al, they're either using complex French techniques or just trying something gimmicky (as you said...)
Contemporary British cooking is much more similar to the Italian approach: use the best quality ingredients, prepare them with great care, but always keep things simple
Note: British cuisine is absolutely first class these days. The bad-old-days are largely behind us
@@granitesevan6243 Indeed. I meant Ramsay&friends and referred to TV and show cooks - they were trained the French way and add the British touch (peas in Carbonara...).
Britain has however become a real food country over the last decades.
@@Eunegin23 Thanks for recognising it. So many people still lean into the lazy stereotypes about British food. The austerity of the war years during the early 20th century cast a long shadow on our food culture (every calorie counted and the pleasure of food always came second). Since then, our population has grown and diversified, which has brought new influences and impetus. We also began to look outwards more at our neighbours and dared to think that if they can celebrate their food heritage, then so can we.
Not wanting to be negative, but French food has really taken a turn for the worse in the last 20 years. It's still very decent, but relies on the mythology surrounding it too much. They've also allowed American fast food influence to creep in - something they resisted so well for so long.
Italy is still about the best place for food. That boot is a perfect little ecosystem. Just isolated enough to preserve its culture, but also open enough to retain its flexibility, which is the reason the food became so great in the first place.
Anyway, I'm rambling now... 😂 Cheers!
@@granitesevan6243 100% on your page. We also don't have the best food-reputation here but it's often about stereotypes as you said. Some might be true but often they aren't (anymore).
Viele Grüße aus Berlin.
I also brown my meat first and then remove it and add it back afterwards. The reason for this is that it's the only way to truly brown the meat and get the Maillard reaction that makes the meat more flavourful. When you put in the meat raw after your sofrito, it never really browns - it just stews.
Try it without - you'll find a very different sauce where you can taste the carrots and the celery that's otherwise lost
@@ApathyBM I don't understand. I still do the full sofrito, so I don't lose the taste of the carrots and celery. I used to put my meat in and cook it right after the sofrito, but I find that browning the meat separately has more flavor.
@@bringer666 It has "more" flavor but a different flavor. You don't always have to stack flavor on top of flavor, which is why bolognese doesn't use garlic or herbs either since they will all overpower the more subtle flavors from the base ingredients.
But really the main reason is textural, not browning the meat keeps it soft and ultimately the sauce is originally meant for lasagna
@@ApathyBM OK, I understand what you are saying but for me I'd rather have the better meat flavor than the softness of the meat. 😀
Browning mince is a basic food skill.
browning the meat definetly gives a lot of flavour..
And drives off moisture.
@@Mike_Regan It's going to simmer for 4 hours anyways. whatever moisture is lost during browning won't make much of a difference.
@@Mike_Regan You add moisture with tomato paste, wine etc.
@damienx0x You shouldn't have to ADD moisture. If you cook the meat right, it will keep it's own moisture. And I want my meat to taste like meat. Not tomato paste or wine.
@@Mike_Regan then just eat the meat ,make it to some kind of patty, don't make bolognese
I was working on house, painting it, a few decades ago, I worked late and the lady who employed me, an Australian woman invited me to eat a spaghetti Bolognese she was cooking. That was 53 years ago and it was the most amazing taste I ever experienced. I have never experienced anything like it ever since, the memory is in the taste.
Have you tried following my recipe for the authentic Bolognese? Maybe it will come close to that taste 😊
Did you give her your bolognese afterwards?
@@realpoetics hahahaha I was waiting for a comment like that!😄😄
I was 20 and she was in her 40s, so I didn't think about it but I remembered her daughter was to die for.
kids, remember, hunger is the best spice
and boy oh boy do you get hungry when you do some good old fashioned physical labour
Browning the meat caramelizes the meat surface bringing out complex sugar molecules that adds flavor to the sauce. Which otherwise would not happen if you boiled it from 1 to 500 hours in tomato sauce. Plus you can remove the meat, drain out the excess fat that comes out of the meat.
I’m not sure you understand what he said about that. All he said was the soffritto should go in and cook first, then the meat should be added to it to brown. He didn’t say you should cook the meat from raw in the tomato.
100% facts
I agree. I practically fry the meat, keeping it low, draining the fat, and finally deglaze the fond with the wine. Then, the tomatoes are added.
@@hazridge I have seen all of his bolognese recipe videos and he does not “brown” the meat. He cooks it until it’s brown technically but he’s not browning it in the sense the original comment is stating(actually searing it). If you were to do that with the sofrito in the pan it would burn the onions. Not saying it’s right or wrong, seems a lot of bolognese recipes don’t go for that true browning
@@hazridge I am pretty sure I understood what he was saying.
I like the guy from "not another cooking show" approach to Bolognese: He cooks the minced sofritto first low and slow for 15-20 mins (to evaporate the liquid and intensify the flavour), and then "caramelize" the meat, then caramelize the tomate paste, and then deglaze the whole thing with red wine and reduce. By using those steps you create several layers of maillard reaction/browning and building up layers of flavours. He doesn't use tomatoes, but personally I like to throw in boxed tomatoes after those steps and cook for min 4 hours before adding a little whole milk or heavy cream at the end.
This is the way.
You're still wrong about browning the meat beforehand. It's not about making sure the meat cooks through, it's about the Maillard reaction on the meat, adding that lovely dark flavor both to the meat itself and in creating a fond on the bottom of the pot. It's the same reason I roast my sofrito vegetables before I put them in the pot, with a goal of getting some browning and a little bit of char.
yes, exactly, aka caramelization.
Vincenzo being the chef to take the controversial stance of "we should season with less salt" was not on my 2025 bingo card but here we are.
😂😂😂
I take the stance that most chefs (at least on line) use far too much salt. Vincenzo is a breath of fresh air.
not a chef
You can always add salt at any time if you need it, but you can't take it out if you've overdone it.
@@maxkelleriiwhat she meant is you need to salt it to layer the flavor, not to completely done with it from the get go
I believe the logic of searing the beef first is to
1. Build up fond on the pot
2. harness some additional flavor from the Meyard reaction
Unfortunately, the way she crammed the pot prevents a good fond or sear from forming... Generally, I see it done in smaller batches when trying to brown the meat first.
Garlic in bolognesse.
Is it traditional? No.
Tastes good? Yes.
Americans put garlic in EVERY Italian dish. Then you have the same flavor undertone in each and every dish as it's rather dominant.
Is it necessary? No 😂
@@Eunegin23 its only dominant if you use too much. If you use it as a balance it doesnt overpower the dish, it enhances it. Korean and Chinese cooking almost always uses garlic and the its definitely not the same flavor undertone in every dish
@@realpoetics Italian is Italian and not Asian. Ask around in Italy when garlic is used and when it isn't.
This doesn't mean that you are not free to put into your food whatever makes you happy.
Does it change the flavor of the recipe and make it inaccurate? Absolutely.
I really don't understand this all-American mania of throwing garlic into every Italian recipe.
Yes waiting 4 the best Bolognese!!!
Happy New Year Vincenzo ! 🍝
Happy New Year my friend 😂
I am Italian and I have no idea what this lady is making but is not anything I know where is the wine? In the wrong order. I use white wine but red is ok. The milk you can add Last and not so much also if you make a lasagne you can add in some béchamel to the sauce at the end. Not the way i was taught.
Are you suggesting to caramelize the sofrito? I sauté it until the onions are clear, and then move on to the next step.
I must say, doesn’t seem like enough tomato in this recipe. Anyway, happy new year everyone and let’s see where Vincenzo takes us this year!
I think you are rignt.
I love the fact that you said "You don't need that much salt in your life". People seem to go crazy over salt. I've RARELY salted anything I cooked, and it always tasted great. Yes, it does bring out the flavor more, I agree, but it does also bring out water retention issues, as well as high blood pressure issues, headaches from dehydration and things like strokes as well.
Without commenting on whether it improves the dish or not, if one wants to brown the meat and is using typical US-sourced meat, it needs to be done before the sofrito. There is a lot of water in much of US-sourced meat and you need to steam that off before the sofrito or you won't saute the sofrito, you'll steam it. Pasta Grammar has mentioned this more than once.
I should watch the whole thing before commenting. Parmesan rind doesn't melt away completely unless you cut it up into rather small pieces. I learned about rind-in-ragu from Kenji and anything more than probably .5cm dice is still present at the end. I'm usually using 2x2x1cm chunks and they're there at the end of even 6 hours. It is well worth it as the braised rind is AMAZING [bold, underline].
Tomato paste first to cook out the acidity of the paste, then the wine. The wine will be in there for four hours so you don’t need to cook out the alcohol, after four hours there will be no alcohol left.
Another great reaction video Vincenzo. I think she should have seared off the meat, set it aside then make the Saffrito, the add the meat back in to add more flavour to the meat. I also liked when she added the cheese rind to the sauce to give it a smoother texture. All In all l thought it was a good sauce. Again great video Vincenzo. Have yourself a Happy New Year Vincenzo 🍾🥂🎊🎉
Happy new year to all!
@Vincenzo: I really like your reactions. Have you thought about not only reacting to recipes, but cooking and therefore tasting them yourself as well? I think this way you could give even better insights.
The idea sounds interesting my friend, let's see what I can do, but some of these recipes are really bad and I don't want to put myself in pain 😛
Browning the meat is a must ! Definitely adds flavor .
So when do you add the sofrito then?
Separately, then bring them together.
@@vincenzosplatePersonally I first caramelise the sofrito, put it aside but I keep the oil it was cooked in. Then I brown the meat in that oil, add the sofrito back in, deglaze with wine, cook until it's evaporated and then I continue with your recipe. The only other thing I change is I cook it in a slow cooker for 12 hours.
is a must in your opinion, but it is not a procedure foreseen for this preparation.
WTF is Kosher salt? Is it salt that's been killed without being stunned first?
I don't understand the reasoning beyond the push for kosher salt. If it's dissolved, why?
@@JM800Because they control TH-cam.
kosher salt is less dense and doesn't have any additives. it's recommended because you're less likely to oversalt your food due to that density, and it's only called 'kosher' salt because it used to be more widely used by jews than other demographics.
@@hrfnsI am lollling at your answer. Additives? To salt? Rofl. I mean how can you add additives to a natural food preservative. Table salt and any type of salt is just NaCl.
And what are you talking about density? You sound like you are repeating stuff without understanding them.
@@hrfns I'd really like to see Sodium Chloride with 'additives' - Is it an American thing that you can't even have salt without some mega-corporation watering it down with, erm, what? Sand, maybe? Sawdust? Ooh - heroin - that'd be a good one. "Pure table salt - Now with added diacetylmorphine - Helps you sleep soundly., Might be a bit side-effecty."
He was not suggesting you don't brown the meet at all; he was saying you don't have to brown, remove, soffritto, add the meat back in and brown again ...... which she did not end up doing, she just browned the meet first which is also incorrect.
@skmsw no, it's not incorrect, and it's meat, not meet. If you're going to be a basic pedant, at least try and act the part
@joesteel7837 i think the pedants are the ones who think they need to tell Vincenzo that browning meat matters. And maybe the ones who feel a need to point out typos.
@skmsw touchè on the second point. But with regards to the first, it matters a lot. It makes a big difference to the flavour and finish of the product. A brown chicken stock compared to a white one is vastly different in both appearance and flavour. I respect Vincenzo, I'm not a first-time viewer, I've been a subscriber for some time and for all I may have some disagreements, they're not fundamentally enough for me to lose the aforementioned respect.
Because I’m Cajun, and we always brown meat first, and then remove and sautee the veggies in the fat, it’s what I do for bolognese, too. Also, you crisp up the meat this way.
After four hours of cooking your crispy meat is no more. Thus you do not have to bake the meat through and through.
Thanks for sharing how you prefer to cook Bolognese!
@@theblackhand6485 I know . I should have been more clear. Wasn’t talking about cropping the bolognese meat. Just in generally in my cuisine, that’s why we brown it.
Can I ask a question Vincenzo? I have an allergy to Celery. While I follow most recipes to classic rules what would you suggest as a replacement to balance out the sofrito base for sauces?
Great question. I am sorry to hear you are allergic. To be honest I would just remove the celery and only use carrots and onion. It will be good
I learned to make this sauce from a native of the Emilia-Romagna region.
First cooking the vegetables, then adding the meat, then a little wine.
And then cooking it VERY slowly (covered) for hours, and finally adding just enough passata to hold it together.
That seems to be the basic outline for a proper ragù.
You are eating a sandwich… 😂 You must be very hungry.
Thank you very much, Vincenzo, for sharing your reaction video with us.
Pfff!...you didn’t watch the video: it was pizza! A soft one and not crunchy in the same time.
I tried about 10 different bolognese recipes. The best was Vincenzo’s one with his friend David from Bologna. Truly it is the best. No need to bother with anything else, but I will try this new one you are creating!
Browning the meat causes the maillard reaction to occur which is essentially the caramelization of protein, it creates an immense amount of flavor. Browning meat before hand will improve ANY recipe. It has nothing to do with making sure the meat is fully cooked.
This is true! Wise to brown meat first, remove then do sofritto as normal. Scientifically provides the most amount of flavor due to the amount of flavor molecules created by Maillard.
100% and then add wine for the fond on bottom!!
Browning absolutley adds flavor
I'm curious if you would be able to pick out the browned vs non-browned in the context of a proper double-blind experiment. In other words, I would bet a lot of money that no, you wouldn't.
The Maillard reaction is referenced a lot, because it is one of the few things we actually understand about cooking. There are a million other variables and chemical processes going on. We are nowhere near to understand and model what happens in the humble kitchen. It's all essentially trial and error.
Regarding the Maillard reaction, it can also happen in lower temperatures, e.g. a simmering pot, not just when you fry things. It just happens to be slower at lower temperatures -- hence the long cooking time.
@@anyadatzaklatszjutuba bit of a ridiculous claim… if I gave you a steak that was properly seared(browned) and then one that was boiled, you don’t think you would notice a flavor difference in a blind taste test????
Hi folks,
As an addition and explation to @Vincenzo's Plate, I would like to clarify the basic meanings and techniques of the word "Ragout/Ragù".
This is a fundamental technique, along with braising. It may seem similar, but there are a few major differenes.
A Ragout, or in this case a Ragù, starts with gently caramalizing the root vegetables, so they release juices and do not brown, but instead become glassy. You THEN add the cold uncooked meat to the prepared mirepoix/sofrito on a lower heat to DEGLACE the fond of the gently caramalized vegetables, and, again, repeat the process without browning the meat, but actually create a fond of both on the bottom without browning.
THEN you add the wine to deglace the fond again and carefully reduce. Once it is fonded, you, in this case, add a little bit of tomato paste and TOMATOIZE the mixture. At the end you add liquid, here tomatoes, in others different stocks, such as in Ragout Fin to deglace the pan a last time before the gentle braising process beginns and you cook the dish for a long time.
The result is very different from regular braised, firstly fried recipes and much more delicate and homogene.
He is very right. If you'd have two different spoons to compare, you'd understand the difference. Silky and smooth without the grainy texture of fried/braised Bolognese.
The hand on the mouth with the jug of milk on the meat 😂 I almost chocked 😂😂
Happy New Year Vincenzo! By rendering the fat from the beef, doesn't that render fat give the sofrito a better taste? It would be nice to do a blind taste of the other of what to put in first. You mentioned red wine will tenderize the beef, but I think the acidity from the tomatoes paste will do the same, no?
reaction videos are the best cooking lessons ever!!!
Happy to hear that you enjoy them😊
love the channel and love the video. I do love how "rules" don't have to follow any kind of logic. Sofrito needs to be cooked and browned but the meat does not. The Mallard reaction is not important for the meat but appears to be important for vegetables, if veggies can react that way (I don't actually know if it applies to all foods or just meat).
I only cook the Bolognese according to David. In my opinion, cooking the veggies first brings out the natural flavors which forms a good base. Salt goes in when you done cooking, the very end. As well as the milk. And if you use a good, quality Passata, you don't really have an acid issue. I'm sticking with David's recipe.
Smart choice my friend! Always do the sofrito first and then add the meat
@vincenzosplate Absolutely..
I was taught that the browning of the meat is important for Bolognese.
It does bring more flavors to the dish 😊
I’m in the US and brown my meat so I can drain it before I consume it unless I use a lean meat
I don't know why you guys do this, we never do it in Europe
Vincenzo isn't wrong about not needing to brown ground meat. You get almost no malliard on ground meat, there's simply too much liquid released during the "browning" to create any kind of noticeable sear. People just like to throw around the term "malliard reaction" without actually knowing what it is or how to achieve it.
Just imagine this scenario for a second… you “brown” it until the moisture evaporates then keep going until it actually achieves the reaction 😮 you never had a burger that had a good sear on it?
@pipedown7969 Big difference between a burger that's seared on the outside and a bunch of broken up ground beef that's so overcooked that all of it is crispy brown.
@ no not really. It’s the same thing, it’s Maillard reaction. You can get a good amount of it without cooking every bit to a crisp…. Even doing it long enough to create a fond on the pan would make a difference. Fond is the product of Maillard reaction taking place. You are trying to say you can’t even achieve that with ground meat??
@@maxkellerii you just haven't cooked minced meats for long enough, that's all. Try going a little further next time
This video is why I watch your videos. I learn so much. Thank you from me and my family.
This message makes me so happy! Happy New Year my friend, may it be filled with lots of delicious recipes🥂🎄
I agree with Vincenzo very much for around 4:10
I have tried it out several times myself when I make dishes where I fry up some veggies first and then cook some meat in the same pot/pan; and not just for pasta dishes, I cook that way very often. When frying the veggies FIRST and only AFTERWARDS adding the meat, I find it's really always much better. I have attempted with several types of meat (indeed ground beef, but also for example sausages that I cut into small pieces to fry) and also with just onion as a veggie or indeed the onion + celery + carrot mix (which is such an AWESOME, lovely combination, not just for pasta sauce, but for so many other things) and yeah, cooking it at the same time leads to worse results. It still works of course, it's still edible and fine, but I feel like it takes away something that it otherwise has... It's a bit tricky to say.
But yeah, anyway, agreed, and very nice video! :D
I'm lazy, I just brown the meat and take it out then brown the veggies on low and add the meat back with the tomatoes, paste, wine and let it ride for hours. 🤤 Might make some this weekend.
A cast iron pan is also perfect for making carbonara and similar pastas. Cook the guanicale and then take it from the heat. The residual heat from the pan is the perfect gentle heat for cooking the cream.
Thanks for sharing how you cook your carbonara, but here she's cooking a Bolognese my friend
@vincenzosplate Yes. I was Reacting to you saying that an iron pan is not good for all kinds of sauce
Oh how funny I knew the minute she poured the milk and you were going to have heart failure! 😂😂😂😂😂
Words and names matter. Good on you Vincenzo
😊
You want to brown the ground beef and get a milliard reaction. Wine is added for flavor and to deglaze the pan. There should be a pork/beef meat base. Pancetra should start the whole process along with the soffrito.
Last week, it was my birthday on Christmas Day (December 25th), today is New Year in 2025, I hope you enjoy this New Year. Greetings from Indonesia.
Greetings fron Australia my friend! And a happy late birthday! 😊
As a barista, when she said that the milk has to be tragically evaporated, a part of me just died.
hahahaha sorry about that
I’ve started cooking bolognese based on one of your videos three years back and now I am at the point where I can point out her mistakes just as quickly as you do. Watched enough Vincenzo videos 😅 thank you for the great content
PLEASE, PLEASE .. share your ultimate recipe with us !!!
It's coming soon my friend, stay tuned
She's American. Of course she need the garlic. Be glad she did not put half a pound of cheese in the dish.
Ah this is convenient, I was gonna cook a very different "bolognese" tonight but I think I'll save it for tomorrow and make a day of it now, get it right.
Was I the only one who was incredulous that both the chef and Vincenzo thought that once the milk cook off stage looked gross
I don't understand what you're trying to say😅
I like to do the browning of every ingredients for the maillard reaction as well so I understand why she wanted to do it with the meat. But I agree, the sofrito needs to caramelise too, loose water, and it takes at least 10 minutes for them while the meat only requires 5 minutes top so it doesnt dry out. So either I would do it the classic way with the sofrito first then adding the meat, or quickly color the meat, remove it, cook the sofrito and then add the meat and the wine not long after. I guess the liter of milk was more used to rehydrate the meat rather than balance the acidity, first time I see this use of milk reduced in a recipe of bolognese. On a side note, usualy the wine takes very few minutes to loose the alcohol especialy if you use a lighter to flame it up, why do it for 20 minutes?
Anyway she seems to have the good spirit for pasta recipes, just some techniques I dont understand sometimes, would still love to try her pastas.
Pizza is soft but not crunchy in the same time 👻
The sides can be crunchy
I have a question: Does it really make a difference, to use San Marzano tomatoes? Does it really make a difference - comparing to other good tomatoes?
The only way to know if by trying!
"As it is written in the Bible: 'One will never find two chefs who make Ragu alla Bolognese the same way'."
😂😂😂
Browning the meat makes no difference to the flavour? Yeah ok 😂😂
Depends on the dish and how you proceed cooking.
It's just my personal opinion😊
Hi Vincenzo what is the name of that wine she used? Thank you
Try this in a blind taste test. One, you cook as you usually do. The other just put all the ingredients in - brown nothing! Slow simmer the whole time until basically all the water is gone and then it will go from grey to brown as it simmers in the beef fat and the bit of olive oil you added at the start. Then add the milk once the sauce looks like hers did.
I’ll bet you can’t taste the difference - I’m in Sydney. Let’s do this together Vincenzo!
Strongly disagree with you.
But it's ok. Just cook the food you enjoy 🙂👍
If you like it, it's ok 👍
@ yep. Thanks. But seriously, give it a try. Instead of getting the Maillard reaction at the start, you get it at the end. Give it a go - I only found it because I didn’t want to stand around for an hour browning everything so I risked it and then I was really surprised. I’m sure your usual way is already good. Worst comes to worst, you were right!
@@PhysioDetective How do you get Maillard reaction at the end, you can't. Put the mince beef/pork/veal in the oven on medium, come back in thirty minutes and break it up then another thirty or so and it should all be nicely browned and therefore tastier. ;)
Excellent idea my friend! Let me see what I can do 😊
@ if the water is evaporated and the fat and oil is still there, wouldn’t it be a Maillard reaction? The simmering changes sound from the usual bubbling to a bit of sizzling. You’ve got to try it. I then add 1/2 to 1 cup of milk per 500g of raw mince and then readjust the seasoning as needed.
I think everyone, including Italians (like myself), have to understand people cook differently and how they want to cook it. Sure we won’t agree because we grew up around Italians families that did and do things the same without change, but people cook how they want. You make it authentic how you like to cook food. It’s like how the Northern and Southern Italy cooks their food.
I don’t believe in Marinara sauce. To me, it’s tomato sauce regardless how you cook it. I sometimes put fennel seeds in my sauce, other times, onion, carrots, celery, with basil. Just enjoy cooking.
Dear Vincenzo! 50% of salt intake is coming from bread. So if you want to reduce significantly a salt intake, start from bread.
One argument for using salt throughout the cooking process is to be able to accurately judge the flavors via taste tests after every step. And if it is appropriately salted in each step, you won't end up with it being too salty if you are only adding more ingredients. Beware reducing or salty ingredients, though!
If you trust the recipe and yourself, feel free to just add the salt at the end.
I struggled with bland bolognese until I added salt, which brought out all the other flavours. I hadn't been using any to try and be healthier. Plus I soften my sofrito in a separate pan, because I have more than one pan(!), with a little chopped rosemary from the garden. I caramelise my beef/pork mince but might experiment just cooking in the sauce.
Seasoning with salt is important to bring out the flavors, however we should be carefull with the amount we use 😊
You could also use soy, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce or just add anchovies or a combination. They all add a good amount of umami + seasoning. I usually reach for the fish sauce in the ragu, works brilliantly.
I‘d like to know Vincenzo‘s opinion on the olive oil vs butter discussion. I’ve read that, traditionally, in Bologna - being in the North of Italy - butter would have been more likely to be used.
That's true actually, in the North of Italy butter is usually used
@ thanks, buddy 🙂
There is an official ragù alla bolognese recipe, published in 1982, wich everyone should know of. It is the result of a cooperation between l'Accademia Italiana della cucina and the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. In 2023 it was updated, but not significantly altered.
The following is a translation of (a part of) an article in the Italian newspaper la Repubblica about the updated official 2023 recipe:
"This is the renewed recipe for the real ragù alla bolognese:
Ingredients and doses (for 6 people):
400 g of coarsely ground beef
50 g of sliced fresh pork pancetta (not smoked, my remark)
Half an onion, about 60 g
1 medium carrot, about 60 g
1 stick of celery, about 60 g
1 glass of red or white wine
200 g of strained tomatoes
1 tablespoon of double concentrated tomato paste
1 glass of whole milk (optional)
Light meat or vegetable broth (stock cubes are allowed)
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
In a saucepan (of excellent quality, heavy) non-stick or aluminum or enameled cast iron (once upon a time the earthenware pot was very popular) of 24-26 cm in diameter, melt the minced or chopped pancetta with 3 tablespoons of oil. Then, add the finely diced vegetables (do not use a mixer/food processor) and slowly fry the mixture over medium-low heat, always stirring with a wooden spoon (the onion must absolutely not take on a burnt taste). Raise the heat and add the minced meat and, always stirring carefully, cook it for about ten minutes until it "sizzles". Add the wine and let it evaporate completely until you no longer smell it, then add the tomato paste and the strained tomatoes.
Continuing to mix well, pour a cup of boiling broth (you can also use just water) and cook slowly, with the pan covered, for about 2 hours (even 3 hours depending on your preferences and the meats used) adding the hot broth as needed. Halfway through cooking, according to an advisable ancient tradition, you can add the milk that must be allowed to evaporate completely. Finally, once cooking is complete, season with salt and pepper. The ragù should be a rich maroon hue, thick and glossy."
I might have made some errors in translating the text (after all my first language is Swedish, not English or Italian), so I highly recommend reading the original English version of document. If you google "Ragù alla bolognese updated recipe" you should easily be able to find the full updated version of the recipe in English. Naturally, the Italian version is readily available there as well.
Wow thanks for sharing the recipe! It sounds delicious!!
@vincenzosplate It's one of the world's most famous dishes for a reason. People should know the official recipe, even if they choose to deviate from it. Looking forward to your next bolognese video!
I have tried this recipe (don't knock it 'till you tried it), I left out the parmesan rind (didn't have that much parmesan lying around) and I skipped on the bay leaf. Used a mix of pork and beef, not just beef. Other than that, pretty much to the T (a bit of a caveat here, there are very few measures given on the recipe and I definitively did't use this much salt). Result: A good pasta sauce. My family's reaction: It's a bit sweeter than usual (probably the milk).
I know you do not like the garlic. To me, the garlic is an optional thing - I really like adding garlic from time to time to my meat and tomato sauce (let's for simplicity's sake call them "bolgonese adjacent"), but it's something I do only about 30 % of the time. It might not be traditional, but sometimes a couple of cloves of garlic will pull it in good direction to change things up a little bit. We can agree to disagree on this one, though. :)
Lish is the best chef on Epicurious. I can't wait to watch. 😊
Hope you enjoyed this video 😊
Time for the best Bolognese ragu, Vincenzo! Surely there should have been some pancetta, veal, pork???
Yes!
A good Bolognese should also have minced pork and veil.
Since this is the basis of real Danish "Frikadeller", it is readily available everywhere here, often at a reduced price.
As for the minced beef, don't use the lean, low-fat version.
Brown the meat in the fat from the Panceta and Guanciale.
And you absolutely CAN put 1 or 2 cloves of Garlic in Bolognese:
It won't taste "garlicky", but adds some "depth".
However: Milk???
@@hansemannluchter643 I put garlic in ragu because I like to maximise my consumption of garlic, which is exceptionally beneficial, but for no other reason.
@@RicktheRecorder I totally agree,
Garlic is good for your health.
But, it does add "depth" to the flavour of Bolognese, or any other ragout for that matter, even when you can't taste, or smell, it.
Saying maillard reaction doesn’t add taste is kinda strange, not the mention the fond one can create with browning.
dont belive anything youtubers say try yourselft, i myselft say browning the meat taste better for me, this guy are these people (like vincenso here) things they know best for all the people of the world palate taste, and act like a judge what a joke the people of today
Yeah it’s kinda strange she didn’t use it to make correct sofrito. Instead she overcooked the meat and had unbrowned veg in the sauce
@@jamesjoyce5962 is not extrange i did like her and it was best bolognese ever i did like vincenso and others do and i still prefer her way
Try putting it in a 250 degree oven with the lid cracked. You'll get the browning.
You can't overcook mince for bolognese , especially when you are going to cook it for another 4-8 hours after browning it. It doesn't change the texture at all as any texture changed while browning the meat will get broken down by the long cooking process. It's does add lots of flavour though.@@jamesjoyce5962
Honestly, every one of your videos makes me want to go make whatever the video is about. Lol.
hahah so are you going to cook a Bolognese ragu now?
@vincenzosplate probably Friday or Saturday night, with fresh made pasta as well! I might have to record and post it as "worlds best bolognese," just so you can make a reaction video for it lol
Caramelizing the meat certainly DOES add flavor to any ground beef dish. Whether you are making quick tacos or cooking a 3 hour meat sauce. No clue what you're talking about.
I'm just sharing my opinion based on my personal experience!
@@vincenzosplate Me too. I understand you cook good, but I'm allowed to criticize what I disagree with. Caramelizing and actually adding some browning has been a game changer for me, and most chefs agree with this.
"Pre-cooking the meat enhances the roasted flavor, and it really makes a difference-believe me."
You don't need salt and garlic for Bolognese. This is not make a chili con carne.
Well we always need salt, but we should be careful with how much we use😅
@@vincenzosplate Oh, really? Alright then.
Yes I trust you Chef Vincenzo, please give us your best bolognese
Stay tuned my friend, it's coming soon
Thank you so much for the love and support
hang on..where's the frozen peas,chucked in at end?
😂😂😂
I agree, not Bolognese, but an interpretation. There is a clear difference between her sauce and the other Bolognese sauces shown in this video.
For those of us who love to cook for people we should NEVER use the word "BEST". The best bolognese is the one you like best. I get annoyed by people who dismiss anything that is not exactly traditional. I know the rules of traditional bolognese but still prefer to put my own twist on it and often make it differently for fun and experimentation. THAT, to me, is what cooking and eating is all about.
Why americana put garlic everywhere?
Because their ingredients don't have any flavor😂
An italian sayinh “do not add garlic” now I have officially seen it all 😨😂😂
Why is it news to you? In Italy we don't use garlic in everything we cook
When i cook bolognese, i make a big pan, about 5 kilo, and i use 18 grams of salt. And i heat the wine, tomato and the milk before adding to the Meat, Just heat a little, not cooking. It's better for the Meat, and the sauce 😊
Thanks for sharing how you prefer to make your Bolognese! It sounds delicious and I'm sure it tastes just as good!
Epicurious is so focused on woke that now he also put them in video content 😂
Yes, Vincenzo, we definitely want to see that Bolognese ragu recipe you mention ;) Concerning her recipe: I think the biggest fail is the garlic. Plus, obviously the fact that she doesn't properly caramelize the soffrito by making it firs. The others points I could chalk up as interpretation (I'd have to try it) and wouldn't be too strikt about them, but those two seem like obvious mistakes to me.
Vincenzo will never stop mentioning the trauma from the guy criticizing his Bolognese
You say that caramelizing the meat does nothing because it's cooked for 4 hours. Isn't that principle the same for the soffritto? How come it's different for the soffritto? I personally like to caramelize both meat and soffritto. Also, she forgot the pork. I use to do it with beef only until I tried it with the pork. Now beef and pork is a must for me. Occasionally, I would also add veil or lamb.
Vincenzo is a bit mentally constrained when is comes to somethings, as much as I love him. My grandma would always go for the Maillard reaction and she was very traditional in cooking, passing down recipes from hear grandparents. Adding the tomatoe paste before to caramelise it in the meat fat does not doing anything to the wine added later and the Bolognese in general except increase those umami-rich flavours. It is a bit like his dislike for adding salt to the soffrito, where does not seem to grasp the osmotic acceleration of the cooking. Cheers to you my exquisite-tasted friend.
Happy new Year to you too my friend! Which Italian recipe is your absolute favorite?
Personally I do the sofrito then the meat (beef+port/veal occationaly also chicken liver), then deglaze with white whine (I don't use red for this dish, if you don't want the drink the rest of the bottle use fortified wine it will keep, and always use something you would be happy to drink ), a little passata not too much, no milk, sometimes I add an anchovy it will melt an won't be fishy, jut add umami. I like it not too wet end but it shouldn't look like dog food. A non standard thing i do which is not "alla bolognese" is to add artichoke pieces in the last 10 minutes, again a ragu variation but still nice. If you have and instant pot you can reduce the cooking time without loosing moisture by partially pressure cooking. It is important that the fibres the mince break down to tender otherwise it tastes wet cardboard with less. Or you can coo the old fashioned way on the hob or in the oven
Pancetta, ground veal/beef/pork,onion,carrot,celery,salt,pepper , white wine and milk (add 1/2 hour before serving
NO TOMATO.. this is a very simple meat sauce
I’ve searched for the most authentic recipe. This is it .
I sometimes change the recipe by adding ingredients but knowing that I have altered a most traditional authentic simple recipe. And ALWAYS, the best food is cooked in a mama’s kitchen in an Italian house with Italian ingredients.
Wrong. The official recipe (and yes there is an official one published) includes tomato paste.
I figured you would have issues with Chef Lish's Bolognese, but I think she does a lot of things right, personally. I would have taken the meat out, leaving the rendered beef fat behind for the sofrito, but I also would have roasted the sofrito first, like I said in my other comment.
I do agree that she uses a _lot_ more milk than it seems like one should, and it does seem like it's missing a step of reducing the heat before you leave it to simmer. Maybe that's an editing mistake? And it does seem like she's saying it should be cooked uncovered, which is absolutely not what I would do. I want to retain more of the moisture for the pasta to absorb and pick up the flavors.
@vicenzosplate this isn't pertaining to the video, but with the agli olio sauce, have you ever tried it with rice instead of pasta? I just experimented and made what I would call riso agli olio
It never crossed my mind to do this my friend, but it sounds like an interesting idea! Thanks for sharing, I'll make sure to try it!
@vincenzosplate it was pretty easy to put together. You get the rice and the water together. Then you add some parsley, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, and salt if you wish and let the rice cook according to instructions. By the time the water absorbs into the rice and cooks down, the oil coats the rice and blends with the rice's starches along with the seasonings, and it's very delicious.
Could it be that a sauce that cooks for hours is more forgivving about the method than we think?
The only way to know is to try!😊
Also consider how much energy you save with lid on.
Good point!😊
Vincenzo. I love your videos. But. Have you thought of trying this method of cooking.? Maybe, just maybe, it might win you over. After all, cooking techniques are constantly evolving. I think it would make a great video.
What was the name of that wine? I would really like to try it for my bolognese dish.
Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto.
Yes please. Do a video of your best bolognese. 😊
Stay tuned my friend 😊
@@vincenzosplate Thank you. Looking forward to it. I cooked the bolognese you and David from Bologna made. It was fantastic. Even the pickiest eaters LOVED it! Thanks again and looking forward to the video. ☺
I love your videos buddy
Thank you so much for your support❤
I'd bet that if she made her Bolognese sauce exactly as he instructed, and he was given her Bolognese and his version, he would not be able to taste any difference. Garlic, wine then tomato paste, etc., makes zero difference after 4 hours of cooking the sauce. But his Bolognese sauce is authentic. Italians from Italy, I am American Italian, get way hung up on these picayune differences in techniques that literally make NO difference in the final taste. But as the French say, se la vie.
First of all: Happy New Year, Vincenzo! May your belly be filled with great foods and may your eyes be filled with tears of joy, while watching videos of people preparing Italian food the right way/as it should be.
For the past two weeks, I've ordered a brand new set of cooking pans, kitchen knives and kitchen tools, so... let the cooking begin! I've also bought a Fitbike, because, well, you know, all those calories have to be burned again. 😁
Happy New Year my friend🥂 May it be filled with beautiful moments and delicious dishes!🍝
Hahah I love your plan! Staying fit while still enjoying all the delicious food 😊
I'm not a fan of chunky sofrito. I personally think it's a must that it be blended in a mixer. And for sure the alcohol needs to be cooked out of the wine before adding any other liquids and the tomatoes.
You sound like a pro at cooking Bolognese my friend! Keep up the good job 😊
She nailed it..... in your coffin 😂
Why are you so nice about someone who has no respect for the original recipe and claims hers the best one ever? Okay she's American and that's how they roll: best in the world without even owning a passport.
Happy New Year my friend!
@Vincenzo can you post a video making salami ?
Happy new year