Why is my spag bol never good?

[ThatLoudCat]

I'm generally a good cook. I cook from scratch everyday. A really good spag bol eludes me though. Everytime I try it's just fine. Maybe slightly watery, or too sweet, or just lacking in flavour.

I've tried many different recipes and they're never what I want them to be. As a kid, spag bol was an easy dinner that everyone's mum made every week so why can't I make it??

Well, give us your recipe for a start!

Red wine, more tomato puree, good quality tomatoes and a longer cook time (without knowing what you do these would be my starting points!)

What do you put in it?

It needs some umami. I use smoked lardons or smoky bacon at the onion stage. Sometimes a pinch of sugar later on to counter the tomato acidity.
It gets better the longer it simmers.
If youre adding wine, it's dry white though you'd drink red wine with it.

How do you make it? I'm not a 'chuck the contents of the kitchen ' spag bol maker, but I have no complaints about mine.
Fry onions, sometimes with carrot/celery if I have them, add mince and brown. I discovered Mutti tomatoes recently and they make a huge difference, the v cheap ones are v watery. Splosh of red wine if I have some. Season. Tiny pinch of sugar if needed.

Having had an Italian mother in law and assuming you have a basic recipe, I'd suggest plenty of garlic, herbs, some tomato puree and most importantly long slow cooking. If it's a bit watery turning up the heat and reducing the sauce.

oxo/beef stock
maggi/worcester/soy (all 3)
red wine

I make mine with mutton mince more flavourful than beef. The tomato sauce part has to be full of rich flavour lots of onions and garlic sweated down and good quality tinned tomatoes or jar sauce.
I also grate a carrot or two in as well which disappears.
Tomatoe puree and a dash of vinegar.
If you can let it bubble away for ages it helps.

Mine involves: onion, carrot, preferably celery , diced mushrooms, preferably some bacon but not essential, mince, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, red wine, beef stock cubes, a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Chuck a parmesan rind in there if I have one. You have to cook it for ages. I often start it on the hob to brown the mince and soften the sofrito mix, then slow cook all day, then back onto the hob for 45 minutes to let the excess liquid boil off. I never use beef stock, only the cubes, because normal stock adds too much liquid.

Is it down to cooking time? You need to sweat the onions etc for a long time before adding the meat, which is also best cooked for a long time. I put in lots of herbs ( thyme, oregano, maybe marjoram) , my sons always add honey ( but I don't). Sometimes we include carrots and celery, sometimes not. Usually a stock cube for extra depth. But proper Italian spag bol is an all day cooking event, whatever else goes into it.

A decent dash of Lea and Perrins sauce when browning the mince and plenty of garlic 👌

I add MSG.

You need to really brown the mince for any flavour. You also need to simmer it for a couple of hours.

I fry soffrito and mince really well, add a bit of stock and tomato puree and then cover with milk. Simmer for a few hours. Season. You could add red wine and herbs. You could add a tin of tomatoes if you want but they aren't necessary.

Tell us what you do!

in my experience stock helps, cubed is fine, but not watered down before pouring in- stir it straight into the sauce. Get it to cook for ages. In a pinch, half a teaspoon of marmite makes a good Unami substitute.

Tomato puree is essential. I don’t use canned tomatoes, always fresh cheery toms cooked low and slow, puree to thicken.

Red wine. Cook slowly for a looooong time and keep adding wine. I put mine in the oven for at least 1.5 hours

My secret ingredient is Marmite. You can't taste it, but it actually adds a great umami base note

I start with onions garlic celery diced carrots, soften these down, brown the meat, add herbs, salt pepper, tomato puree and beef stock pot, then 2 tins tomatoes and let it cook down low for at least an hour or more if time. A splash of red wine if I have some open.

I was shocked when a friend suggested we whip up a spaghetti Bol for a quick tea to eat in half an hour by literally just browning mince and adding garlic and a tin of tomatoes- we ate later than planned but she was amazed at the difference the extra cooking time made.

Get your mince from the local butcher, not the supermarket

Length of time! I let mine cook slowly on the hob for at least 2-3 hours. It’s very flavoursome!

And also make sure its got a fair bit of fat in it. Not the 5% stuff.

Minced chicken livers. Splash of full fat milk.

You need to add a good sized amount of tomato purée to thicken it. I use the little pots rather than squeezing from a tube.

Agree with first post, good quality toms. Mutti. I add as much pureee as I feel like, least 3-4 table spoons! Also always do red wine and a spoon full of brown sugar

Agree needs smoked bacon.

The Delia recipe is good and once it’s in the oven you can just leave it and you’ll have ready made portions in the freezer. I do a quicker hob version similar to others but minimum of 30 minutes simmering.