What is your secret ingredient to the best bolognese

[JustAnotherDayWorkingAtHome]

I generally follow the same process each time (onion, garlic, herbs, passata, seasoning) but find my bolognese can vary hugely in taste and richness....what do you think is the key to making the perfect bolognese every time?

brown off streaky smoked bacon, mince, garlic,
very finely chopped celery & carrot
add half a tube of tomato puree and cook it through before adding the wine
a good glass of red wine and cook it off
passata
salt & pepper and a pinch of sugar
slow cook with a bay leaf

@Claudia84

Anything with an umami flavour - marmite, Worcestershire sauce, or porcini mushrooms. And as other posters have said - give it time.

I forgot to add that. I prepare the sauce on the hob and then put the casserole dish in the oven for 2 hours. It reduces down nicely after that time.

I swear by using lamb oxo cubes rather than beef or vegetable, along with what others have said about Worcestershire sauce etc

Lardons!

Very long slow cooking.
I do mine in the slow cooker for 8 hours.

@LlamasintheFog

And carrot in a bolognese is a hanging offence

It's authentic to put carrot in a bolognese. I like it.

Finely chopped chicken livers

grated carrot, marmite

Chicken livers and a whole carrot simmered with the sauce and removed before serving.

Oxo cube and a square or dark chocolate

@Wineat5isfine

Waitrose sell diced soffrito or a diced med veg (tomato, courgette, aubergine, onion, red and green pepper.) Both are great for spag bol, lasagne, sheps pie, chilli etc

I use 2 x packs of very lean good quality beef mince and 2 packs of diced veggies.

All dry fried off first, with the herbs and lots of garlic…into a slow cooker. Deglaze the pan well.

Add beef stock until it covers the food (usually 3 oxos as this makes a lot)

4 x bay leaves, well seasoned, tsp of sugar, a healthy squirt of tomato paste and a good splash of milk.

This cooks for about 7-8 hours on low.

This ^^ and overnight in the slow cooker. Unbeatable.

@TheKeatingFive

Ok, I was keeping it under control, but the cream cheese/mint sauce/star anise suggestions are in danger of tipping me over 😱

We can sit and tremble together. I always remember the magnificent @JesusInACabbageVan having me in stitches saying only on MN will people throw a tin of peach halves, a cauliflower and the dog they ran over on the way to work in a lasagne.

@Cornettoninja, thank you for that. I won't show him. He's had a stressful day.

Ditch the mince and use beef shin instead. Makes a world of difference. Cook this (with sausage meat, pancetta, and chicken livers, couple of anchovies, soffrito, whole milk, white wine, tomato puree etc) on the hob for about 4 hrs until it's absolutely unctuous.

A large dash of milk at the end. Trust me.

Start with carrots, onions and celery, finely chopped.

Ditch the tinned tomato and passata: only use tomato paste - makes it far richer and less watery

White wine not red wine.

Milk and chicken stock as the cooking liquid, simmer very gently for at least 3 hours until nearly dry.

No dried herbs, worcestershire sauce or ketchup. Just a couple of bay leaves and some freshly grated nutmeg.

Grind the mince (basically squash it down with a wooden spoon) to get it quite fine - much better for coating pasta ribbons rather than sitting in a mince-y lump on top.

Quality mince, Passata, garlic, onion powder (the child can spot an onion morsel at 100 paces) half a bottle red wine.

Reduce down

Pressure cook for 15 mins, leave for however long, stir through 1 tube or small tin purée, pop on slow cook setting and leave to do its thing til you’re ready to eat.

A tspn of dark muscovado sugar

Don't use passata. Use chopped tomato and a bit of tomato paste....and good quality mince obv

This is my recipe. Stuff gets fried off, then into the slow cooker for 5-ish hours.

It’s never eaten the same day either, always the day after.

I mean seriously, buy it already done. Who has time to fanny about with all of this and lead a meaningful life? 😂😆

Fry the onions, carrot, garlic in a good glut of oil in a frying pan until browning. Lots of seasoning! If using chopped tomatoes, drain off the liquid. Nice high % fat mince - you can always pour off fat that comes out, but it will help the flavour if it’s there in the first place. Worcestershire sauce.

Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, Worcester sauce, slow cooker.

A long, slowly cooked soffrito.

Good quality mince (pork and beef mix) none of the low fat nonsense.

Lots of red wine and good beef stock.

All the usuals like garlic, mixed herbs, tomatoes, sugar.

I only buy tinned plum tomatoes as chopped can be a mixture tomatoes.

In traditional ones, grated carrots. I love stirring a small amount of double cream in too - not v healthy though!

Teaspoon of marmite as well as all the other stuff (carrots, wine etc.)