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?

Cook the mince with onion garlic and a beef oxo. Add tomato paste chopped tomatoes grated carrot (and broccoli stalk if I have one saved) and lentils. If I have mushrooms that need using they will go in, same with celery. Simmer it down for an hour or so.

Oh and a whole bunch of fresh basil 😁

Dry fry mince and then put in a casserole dish with a jar of Loyd Grossman Bolognese sauce. Cook in oven on a low heat for 2-3 hours.

I use pasatta as it is pre cooked so I don't need to cook it for hours and my DH is funny with lumps of things.
I use balsamic vinegar in the onions for the sourness instead of wine and cook it down with everything else. Lots of herbs and garlic.
I don't slow cook it but it comes out very saucy and tasty.

Jd seasonings bolognaise spice mix and follow recipe on back. Free on SlimmingWorld.

@Aberforthsgoat yep sweet chilli sauce 😊 It all goes so well together, you should definitely give it a go sometime. Think I'll be trying some of the recipes others have posted too!

Why are people adding dolmio to other raw ingredients? I'm so confused. Surely you either make it from scratch OR use a jar and nothing else. Nowt as queer as folk!

I dont slow cook mine. I fry onion and garlic, then add the mince. Then add chopped tomatoes and a bit of tomatoe paste, salt, pepper, paprika and dollop of bbq sauce. Literally haven't got the time or patients to cook things for hours on end!

I used finely diced smoked bacon, carrot, courgette, mushrooms, red onions, garlic, sweat it down, brown the mince (lean steak mince), slug of red wine, some reduced beef stock, couple of tins of tomatoes, a bouquet garni with oregano, thyme and rosemary from the garden and cook it for hours. Make a huge vat at a time and it freezes well. It's more of a ragu than a spag bol really

Oh and finish with some fresh basil

The bacon is in lieu of pork mince as I find it fatty and I can't abide celery

Erm, am I the first to to suggest a pressure cooker?
Onions, garlic, mince, stock cube (red wine stock pot is even better) bay leaf and tomato (chopped or passata) ... 10 mins at pressure ,,, done 🤤

I fry finely chopped onions, carrot and a celery stick with garlic in olive oil. Then brown the mince, then add chopped peppers, courgettes and mushrooms, cook for a few minutes then tinned toms, passata, a splash of red wine, herbs and a beef stock gel and simmer until the kids ask when it's dinner time - anything from 30 mins to an hour (though it does taste nicer if cooked very slowly for hours but usually don't have time.)

Mince cooked for less than a couple of hours is rank, the texture is horrible, even for very good quality meat. I cook ragu or chilli for at least 8 hours in a slow cooker, usually closer to 12 though.

Some of these methods are making me feel ill

Longer cooking makes for a better, stronger and sweeter tomato sauce. Doesn't do anything either way for the mince.

You can get most of the effect of long cooking in under half an hour by grating some carrot in or just a teaspoon or two of sugar. It's not the same but it's pretty good.

DH is Italian. Their bol is outstanding.

Definitely slow cook for hours. Red wine, fresh herbs and pancetta are an absolute must.

Would not make a sauce then add meat to it... you miss out the depth of flavour from browning the meat.

Brown mince.
Add onions, soften, add garlic, add anything else that benefits from frying, so bacon, chorizo, etc... then liquid/wet ingredients, fresh herbs etc.

Simmer and reduce as necessary, for as long as possible.

Cook pasta, drain, throw into pan with meat sauce, stir, serve.

@AHobbyaweek

Passata is only cooked for as long as it takes to break down the tomatoes/soften the garlic - around 15 minutes.

If you are simmering your bolognese sauce long enough to get a proper flavour to it, you'll be cooking it far longer than that... I just use chopped tinned tomatoes as they are cheaper and I am already adding garlic, onions etc...

Another long cook on my sauce!

Fry combo of bacon, onions, garlic, carrot and celery (low and slow). Remove and set aside.
Add mince (very high heat) to the pan and stir occasionally, so that you get a nice caramelisation on the meat.
Add the onion etc and mix.
Then add a splash of lea and Perrins and stir.
Then add canned tomatoes, tomato purée, bay leaf and some herbs.
Fill the can with water and add
Add red wine, seasoning (I sometimes add chilli flakes)
Bring to a boil and then put on a low heat for at least and hour but preferably three.

With the left overs, l either freeze or make a lasagna/pasta bake another day with the rest.

Sometimes I’ll use stewing steak to make it even more luxurious.

I let mine cook for hours, reducing very slowly. Then keep it overnight in the fridge. It's always better the next day. Same goes for chilli and most one-pot things.

My mother brought us up on Ragu as our family is from near Bologna We had it on pasta at least twice a week when I was growing up. She always cooked it for 3-4 hours at least. We only used a small amount on pasta though as it is a concentrated ( delicious) flavour so a large batch cooked would last a while in the fridge and she froze portions as well. She ways had some in the fridge or freezer.

I cannot.bear a meat Ragu that has been cooked for 20-30mins, the meat separate from the ingredients and all you can taste is sort of chewwy mince.My mothers Ragu melted in the mouth and was delicious.

I don't make it as well as she did but in any case DH and D's are vegetarian now so I haven't made it in about 3 years . I miss it .

Fatty mince. The mince needs to be fatty, not lean mince please.

Y'all have made me hungry!!!!!

Don't judge me, but I have used made up pasta sauce ( not fucking Dolmio, it's rank!). To cook it properly, it really should be cooked for 2/3 hours with grated carrot, celery, red wine, garlic, tomato puree, passatta. However it's Ragu sauce you are making.
Should be served with Tagliatelle NOT spaghetti. Spaghetti bolognese is only served to tourists...bloody peasants on here...🇮🇹😂