How long do you cook your mince for?

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I'm making a lasagne for tea and I've got mince in tomato sauce slow cooking on the hob. It's been on there for nearly an hour but when I've tasted it the mince doesn't taste really soft and tender.

How much longer should I cook it for? Last time I made it, it tasted so much nicer but I haven't done anything differently this time (I don't think).

Any tips?

@SpamChaudFroid

Sorry just seen your comment about milk - yes it works. I use it every time.

I add it after I've browned the veg, then add the mince (stir to incorporate) and then brown the "milked" mince.

Completely agree with pp about fat. Low fat mince is ghastly. MIL once made us a slimming world lasagne with super low fat mince and cottage cheese instead of béchamel. I am not fussy but it was genuinely inedible. The mince was grey.

Anyway. 15% fat mince at the minimum. You can skim off excess fat. Ideally a mixture of both beef and pork mince; Morrison’s do an excellent ‘bolognese mince’ which has the two minced together. Simmer with the lid off to reduce as you want the sauce quite thick for a lasagne.

Oh and I agree with @DeRigueurMortis - some full-fat milk and white wine (not red). Chicken livers are particularly nice in bolognese if you are not squeamish about offal. I blitz to a paste in a blender first.

I drain the mince to get rid of the fat...

Either way, it's very important to have an extra tray, with just the top layer.

So, that, a bit of the liquid, lasagne sheets, white sauce, mozza, bake.
The top is best, so this way everyone gets extra

I made spag bol tonight, take me about 20 minutes. I cant stand soft mince.

I cook mine for about 3 hours in the oven, before making up the lasagne.

Cooking mince for 10 minutes sounds vile.

What oven temperature is best when you cook mince for 3-4h? Thanks

I think I do gas mark 2 but I'll check...

Yes it's 2. This is the recipe I use and it makes lots so I freeze 3 Tupperware boxes of it so it feeds the kids once a week for a month (8 portions in total for the recipe).

www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjQjZeu7onkAhULfxoKHS1gAUMQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbcgoodfood.com%2Frecipes%2Fnext-level-spaghetti-bolognese&psig=AOvVaw2QSJeHx8CgZfh6qB-vSQzv&ust=1566129820358020

I tried the milk thing once, it was awful, the mince ended up with the texture of baby food, I like my mince to still have some bite. I simmer ragu for an hour or so but if possible keep it in the fridge till the next day to help the flavours develop.

I brown the mince with an onion and garlic, the throw in the slow cooker with everything else and cook it for 4/5 hours.

I normally make it the day before I want a lasagne and also do a massive portion so I can freeze some for next time.

Thank you.

When my parents cook lasagna it seems to take the whole day.
I like the traditional lasagna with a nice celery, carrot, union soffrito and bechamel sauce but it takes ages.
My nonna makes pasta al forno where she uses farfalle instead of lasagne sheets and that makes for a more interesting texture imo.

This thread has made me hungry!

I've used Delia's lasagne recipe since I first cane across it about 20 years ago! She says to brown the mince and then once add the ingredients are in (including milk!) let it cook for 4 hours. I always make lasagne a day ahead of when I need it. And always make 2 at a time as it's such a faff! The second one goes in the freezer. It's always yum and my family always as for it if we're cooking for get-togethers.

@oreodough I use this receipe below .I use pork and lamb mince and a cheese sauce on top

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/express_lasagne_51375

Ingredients
butter, for greasing
6 large dried lasagne sheets
75g/2¾oz mature Cheddar cheese, grated
For the pork and spinach sauce
1 tbsp oil
450g/1lb pork sausage meat
1 tbsp plain flour
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
200ml/7fl oz full-fat crème fraîche
100g/3½oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato sauce
500g/1lb 2oz passata
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
1 tsp light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
Recipe tipsHow-to-videos
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease the ovenproof dish with butter.

Soak the lasagne sheets in recently boiled warm water to soften while you prepare the two sauces.

For the pork and spinach sauce, heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Add the sausage meat and brown over a high heat for 5–10 minutes until golden-brown, breaking up the mince with two wooden spoons. Sprinkle in the flour and fry for a minute.

Add the chilli, garlic and mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche and spinach. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble for a couple of minutes. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the tomato sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a jug or bowl and season well with salt and pepper.

Drain the lasagne sheets.

Spoon one-third of the spinach sauce into the base of the ovenproof dish. Spoon one-third of the tomato sauce on top and arrange half the lasagne sheets over the tomato sauce. Repeat using two more layers of spinach and tomato sauce and one of lasagne sheets. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.

Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the top of the dish is golden-brown and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately.

Thank you, I shall give it a try