AIBU to ask how you make your spag Bol?

[Aberforthsgoat]

I make my own sauce with chopped tomatoes, garlic etc cook the mince in it, make some
Pasta or courgetti and done.
Friend just told me I should cook the mince slowly for ages - hours - add red wine and a grating of dark chocolate. I’m not going to be doing that any time soon as I’m pregnant and have to work quick in the non queasy window but it’s got me wondering - is slow cooking for hours the norm?!
Have I been doing it wrong all this time?

Your friend is insane.

I slow cook chilli with chocolate and cinnamon, but not always bolognese. It does benefit from the longest cooking you can give it though.

I make mine for hours. Tomatoes, tomato paste, lots of stock, red wine and reduce. And other stuff obviously.

I slow cook mine. It makes a better texture and flavour, especially if you are using mushrooms.

I don't however brown anything and it works just fine.

I also freeze the leftovers in a silicon muffin tin and each one is a perfect portion

I make mine in the morning
Brown the mince in a pan, add chopped onions, a blended tin of chopped tomatoes and a dolmio jar and a veg stock cube
Then put in the slow cooker till dinner time

I think the mince tastes nicer the longer it's Cooked

I put mine in the slow cooker and it's soooo much better than a 30 minute job in the pan.

Mince, jar, pasta

St Delia old style from her first cookery book You must include the chicken livers .. Yum

Chopped onion, grated carrot, finely chopped celery and garlic cooked in olive oil...add mince, brown very well.

Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, pinch of sugar, dash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, maybe a splash of red wine if I have any in.

Cook down for a minimum of an hour.

I also add red wine, bay leafs, oregano and cook it for ages, it can sometimes reduce by half. If you want it quickly you'd be better off using a jar!
Chocolate is added to chilli, not spag sauce, enhances the richness.

I simmer mine for 3-4 hours, a quick thro together in the 10 mins it takes to cook pasta isn't enough

Whole thing takes about 20 mins.
Plus the cats would sit on the side for 8 hours watching it thinking it was their dinner cooking

Much better off cooked for hours. I sometimes just use tomato puree, no chopped tomatoes. Red wine, oregano, bay leaf, garlic, onion, lean mince.

You do know that alcohol cooks off in food, right?

Whole thing takes about 20 mins.

Surely this is just mince mixed with tomatoes/jar sauce? Sounds disgusting.

I cook it for hours on a low oven, mine has toms, garlic, onion, red peppers, mince, beef stock, red wine, mixed Italian herbs and mushrooms. It's cooked for at least 6 hours so we only eat it at weekends or as leftovers during the week

Brown mince and set aside. Fry onions and garlic together until translucent, then add the mince. In goes tomato paste, can of chopped tomatoes, good glug of red wine, tablespoon of good quality balsamic, fresh basil, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 30mins (would do longer but I'm not organised enough), then add in chopped mushrooms 5 minutes before the end of cooking time. Yum.

Bung it all in the slow cooker once browned the mince !

I either simmer on the hob or transfer to the slow cooker for a few hours, makes a huge difference. Recipe varies depending on what I have in, rarely 'authentic' but always tasty.

Totally judging all the Dolmio users btw. I fry onions and carrot, add mince and brown. Add mushrooms and crushed garlic and fry off for a minute or two. Combine oregano, beef stock cube, tomato purée and Lea and Perrins (or Henderson's Relish, if I can get it!) with approx 350 ml boiling water, add to mince and simmer down.

The Lea and Perrins is vital for umami goodness.

I use chopped tomatoes, garlic purée, mushrooms, peppers, onions, a jar of Dolmio, and frozen Quorn mince (not a big fan of beef). Cook the mince separately til it's defrosted, add it in and leave to simmer for a while. Spaghetti and serve with a little cheese on top.

If it's a quick tea, I will cook for around an hour. If I'm home and have time, then I will simmer for around 2-3 hours.

Completely agree that it's better cooked for longer. Even better reheated in lasagne!

I cook mine for a couple of hours.make loads in one go, put it in individual sauce portions in plastic bags and freeze. I did it loads when I was pregnant as I had severe hyperemesis throughoutand itxeas a way evetyone could eadily be fed after one cooking day. I use to make a couple of big saucepan full. I put in red onion the garlic then mince , passata, chopped tomatoes, herbs wine, stock, water and cook.

It's nice if slow cooked. But I reckon i can make a decent bolognese in 20-30 minutes if I hadn't thought about it in advance.
A drop of wine in it does add to the flavour but really just a drop.