I made this yesterday! Let the meat sauce simmer for hours, it tasted great! Only problem was that I ran out of the sauce before finishing assembling the lasagna. 2 pounds of meat does NOT quite make 1 kilo!
I get that Lauren might not be a fan, but honestly, celery adds such an essential depth to the flavor profile. You really only notice it if you overdo it, but when used sparingly it really rounds out the sauce.
Hey man, about the tomatoes in bolognese... The channel 'Pasta Grammar' made a video recently called 'Why We Don't Make "Traditional" Ragù alla Bolognese'... and according to them, the bologna chamber of commerce actually keeps an official recipe for ragu bolognese, as well as what variations/deviations are allowed. Until recently (2023), the recipe only called for a very small quantity of tomato paste.. it did not allow for tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. It did call for broth, like beef broth, to be added instead. This was updated in 2023 because everyone in bologna had used tomatoes for decades, as the official recipe has to be as conservative as possible, no fads allowed. As to what came before that, allow me some educated guesses and inferences. Italians got tomatoes some time in the 1500s, so it was quite awhile ago, and early on they were believed to be poisonous and were grown ornamentally. So they probably started using them in foods in the late 1500s, early 1600s. Given that the good Italian tomatoes are grown farther south than Bologna near mount Vesuvio and beyond, Bologna has not historically been very big on tomatoes. The small amount of tomate paste that until recently was the only tomato "allowed" in bolognese, was probably fairly recent as well. Canning wasn't a thing until the 1800s. If you consider the "old" bologna recipe but without even the tomato paste, it's a pure meat sauce. In that context the wine becomes ever more important, and some vinegar would make a lot of sense, since you have no sweetness or acidity from tomatoes.
Max Miller of Tasting History did a video on tomatoes and why Europeans thought they were poisonous. Briefly it wasn't about the tomato itself, it was about the cooking vessel. The aristocracy and the titled people used pewter cookware and dishes. And acidic tomatoes and pewter don't mix. People were poisoned. The average common person did not use pewter, they used other things. As Max said in his video a nobleman and his wife were traveling. When they stopped to eat at an inn they noticed people eating tomatoes. The nobleman was alarmed. Until he noticed what utensils and cookware they were using. I can't remember if he said that tale was true or not, but it did have to do with cooking tomatoes in reactive cookware. And using pewter dishes and serving ware.
There actually exists an 'old bologna' recipe and it is called ragù bianco. I think it's from Umbria (or Tuscany, sorry I forgot). Probably it was named retroactively to emphasize the lack of tomatoes. As an aside, there is also a no-tomato ragù dish in Naples called Pasta alla genovese (despite the name, there is no connection to Genova). It is heavily loaded with sliced onions as soffrito. Probably the most unique meat pasta I have ever tasted
I am from Bari, Puglia (the heel of the boot), and, while we make bolognese the way they make it in the north, we have our own traditional ragù, that is more similar to the one they make in Naples. No soffritto, just onion and bay (my grandma didn't use it though), and the meat is either in chunks or, more traditionally, we make rolls with a specific beef shoulder cut called paletta. We call them brasciole in barese. You put a tablespoon of a mix of pecorino romano, garlic and parsley in the middle of the slice of meat, roll it and pierce it closed with toothpicks. From there it goes on as any other meat based tomato sauce: brown the meat, deglaze with wine, add the passata and leave it to cook for hours, literally forget it on the stove. It's typically served with orecchiette and a handful of pecorino or parmigiano. That is for us what the Sunday roast is for the Brits.
There is actually a video on Vincenzo's channel where he tries a bunch of Ragu Bolognese, in Bologna, and from memory at least 1 does put livers in the sauce. I learned that trick from Vincenzo actually.
I have tried the livers and it's great, plus I've seen that in some traditional recipes in Bologna they use Livers. I think Vincenzo even talked or even experienced it.
@@ChefJamesMakinson On Italia Squisita they said the traditional ragu was made with ground diaphragm, so hanger/skirt, which does taste a bit gamey, so recreating it in a similar simpler way with regular cuts and some innards makes a lot of sense.
I come from a half asian background and I can guarantee you liver is absolutely AMAZING in sauces. It looks gnarly when raw (...Oxford dictionary gnarly not Jamie gnarly) but it has such a luxurious texture, aroma, and flavor.
In friuli, most north-east region of italy, we use basically the same recipe some ad bay or sage too. there is a recipe for white ragù here that uses. soffritto, herbs, butter (was more common than olive oil here) groundmeat (a mix beef +pork or boar or deer) mashrooms, red wine to deglaze, stock (beef /chiken) ,salt and pepper. that was served with polenta. it is a really old recipe but i don't really know how old. olso yes, you can use different kinds of meat to make ragù. probably every region have it's own variation of this recipe with little changes. some even use cinnamon and peppers in their ragù recipe
I gotta say, while I appreciate Adam Ragusea’s take on a “strange” bolognese sauce, there are some tweaks I’d seriously consider. First off, I think adding liver could be fun--it gives that robust, meaty depth--but it should be complemented with a much heavier dose of fresh vegetables. In my opinion, the key flavor profile of a proper bolognese should come from the veggies rather than relying on canned tomatoes alone. Canned tomatoes can be a bit one-dimensional, whereas a hearty mirepoix (think carrots, onions, and celery) builds a richer, layered foundation. Now, about the wine: I’m not built for drinking much wine--three glasses and I’m out, while I could knock back half a bottle of rum without batting an eye. So for me, a lighter or even a less assertive wine (or maybe even a quality white if you prefer) might work better in a long-simmered sauce, so it doesn’t overpower the other flavors or leave a bitter tannic aftertaste that some red wines tend to develop during extended cooking. On the herb front, I’m all for fresh herbs because they pack a vibrant punch, but let’s be real: fresh herbs can cost an arm and a leg. I find that high-quality dried herbs--when used correctly--do the trick without breaking the bank. They’re concentrated and, if balanced right, can actually enhance the sauce without needing that “fancy” fresh flavor that might be overkill. And speaking of salt, why rely solely on chicken bouillon? I’d argue that a vegetable-based bouillon might actually be better here. It’d boost the natural veggie flavors in the sauce and could be less salty overall--at least from my memory of making a truly balanced ragu. For me, too much vinegar just makes the sauce taste sour, so if you’re sensitive like I am, maybe dial back on the acid or substitute with something milder to keep the focus on the savory depth of the vegetables. To sum it up: while Adam’s approach is an interesting twist, I’d love to see a version that leans more into a robust vegetable base with a smart balance of fresh (or well-selected dried) herbs, a gentler wine component, and perhaps a veggie bouillon to let the natural flavors shine through. That, in my opinion, would elevate the dish from “strange” to authentically epic bolognese sauce.
For browning ground beef I agree with Adam. Wait a bit and once the water boils off you'll get good browning with the remaining tallow. I also agree with the bullion paste or powder - it adds flavor and MSG for umami. And yes, fresh herbs are best but.... gotta make a living too.
Thanks for another informative video. This recipe seems overly complicated, but ok - I feel it should cook longer than 2 hours, but maybe not with the chicken livers? And I think he added a tablespoonful of salt along with the dried herbs - along with the huge dollop of boullion, it seems like it would be salty. In Greece we make "makaronia me kima" (macaroni with ground meat) all the time. My mother's recipe is with soffrito, ground beef, tomato paste, maybe a small garlic clove, wine or cognac (depending on how she felt) and not so much tomato - passata or grated fresh tomatoes, if in season, maybe a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes were a little sour. And a cinnamon stick - that is a necessity.
I've known about the chicken liver thing for many years. I've made it myself a few times, and I really like it. But I usually make a very simple ragout: minced meat, onion, garlic, a little tomato paste and a little stock. Seasoned with bay leaves, pepper, salt and a little oregano. A very compact sauce, but full of meaty flavour. Simple, but incredibly good and ready in just a few minutes.
I've got to throw in some defense for the Balsamic Vinegar. Amounts used not withstanding, the sour and subtle sweet flavor it adds when cooked really brighten up savory and fatty dishes without having a super distinct flavor like Malt vinegar or citrus juice.
there are so many cans of tomatoes that I'd have acid reflux for the rest of my life. the chicken bouillon stuff he uses is amazing. I used to take a spoonful and add it to some hot water and it was a nice winter drink
Totally with Adam on the balsamic.. I thought I was the only one but I always put some good balsamic in my ragu. It’s fruity, sweet, sharp and tangy and works great with the tomatoes. Lifts it to another level (plus the family loves it).
I can't get enough of your face chef when you see Adam adding balsamic vinegar 😂 Also I just wanted to say that I've been a fan of your channel for a few years now. I have taken a lot from your tips and techniques over the years. Thanks for what you do chef!
This was an interesting video. I don’t think I would ever try this recipe. I always enjoy your commentary and cooking tips. They help me improve my cooking greatly and I appreciate that.
I love using lots of fresh basil, its all about that oil, and you can just remove the stem instead of getting those sticky bits in the sauce. I also put MSG in the sauce, totally not Italian style, but it enhances the sauce, make it taste a little more expensive.
You said that you prefer red wine in beef dishes, but I find that when used in that quantity and simmered for that amount of time, it can become bitter from the tannins. Unless I'm doing a pan sauce that will cook in minutes, I use white wine, even with beef. After 3 hours of simmering, a lot of the complexity of the red wine will reduce over time, so the end result will be about the same.
Livers are traditional in northern Italy but it is a notable flavor and my kids definitely tasted them when I added them. I would not add dried herbs they they overpower the dish. I do add cream. And nutmeg. Whit wine.
A little vinegar is good in that style of sauce especially if the tomatoes are really sweet. Standard balsamic does add a little red wine flavor as well. ( Look at a bottle of cheap balsamic here in the USA... Cooked grape must is usually the second ingredient. Would you find it odd if he added a hot sauce if he said he liked it that way? Hot sauce is hot peppers and vinegar. I keep a bottle of homemade enhancer on my counter, equal parts balsamic vinegar, chipotle hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. It goes well with many meat based dishes.
@@chuckmiller5763 Unless you have someone in he house who hates the flavor of celery. :) (But if that’s his reason, he could have mentioned it. The dill family seems to be a major divider - I’ve noticed that many people, if they don like one herb/spice from that family, they have problems with others too, tho not necessarily all of them. Coriander, cumin, caraway and fennel seem to be the major ones. Sometimes dill too. Coriander seed usually seems to get a pass; cilantro not so much.
I'm interested about that balsamic vinegar, i have never used that brand but i do have 2 really different balsamic vinegars in closet, The difference between these 2 is like the difference between "normal" soy sauce and ketjap manis (sweet indonesian soy sauce)... he might add it in in order to avoid using salt, because if you don't use salt, you need to cover it by adding other flavours, usually acidity.. i do this and it is REALLY hard (which is why most chefs don't do it) and you need a ton of herbs and spices to cover for the salt. and the small amount of salt that i do use, usually comes in with another flavour, like soy sauce or beef stock Oh and if you are wondering why avoid salt, medical reasons and western people get about 200-300% too much salt daily, like if you grab MCsalad and then at home eat 2x slice of bread with cheese and ham, that is basicly it... everything else you eat that day should be saltless. Oh and everything has salt nowdays, even coke.. Also +10 points for mixing the pasta into a sauce in a different pot. I always do this because i don't want the pasta mess up my main sauce that i eat for 3-4 days
With the amount of chicken liver and chicken bouillon Adam used, if I was to replicate this, I'd just use goose or muscovy duck meat instead of beef tbh.
When I learned to make a Ragū at an italian restaurant 30 years ago the italians chefs used chicken liver as well. Unfortunately I can’t remember from which region those cooks came from.
My husband and father in law like when I add cream to my spaghetti sauce. I sometimes add wine to my spaghetti sauce but I prefer tequila. Which sounds weird but it works really well in spaghetti.
I tried to follow this recipe but used red wine instead -- it's good, but I think white wine is better, I think the sauce doesn't need the bitter note of red wine (tannin).
With ground beef I the highest fat content if there to much I remove the excess it's cheaper and the fattier the mince the nicer the flavour. Also, any excess beef fat can be used in other recipes
10:29 Maybe Max in Tasting History channel has a video of that, anyway it is very interesting channel to check out. Never used balsamic to bolognese sauce but cream I have used many times.
i'd be curious to know your thoughts on when to use dried herbs vs fresh. are dried herbs used in professional dishes or is that just a home cook/basic restaurant thing?
@@sazji Celery is only a part of the salt sources. All root vegetables, minced meat have enough salt after the reduction. I think you wanted to reply to the video. :)
i actually like to use balsamic vinegar in tomato soup and sauce. also a bit of sweet paprika. and sugar. sometimes the ny bit of dried chilli, but really tiny. shouldn't make it spicy just a tad pronounced.
I've had this idea for a dish that works so well with your "experiment when cooking" comment, it's a take on cacio e pepe, I don't lnow if the naming convention is correct, but i call it Quattro e quattro, essentialky a four pepper four cheese cacio e pepe.
Using a food processor or a box grater for vegetables is fine, if you're willing to put in more time into cleaning your tool than you saved compared to using a knife ;)
I use very little garlic, Italians don't like strong garlic tastes and neither do I (bad breath etc.). After adding all ingredients and it has to cook on low heat for a long time, I let it simmer in a slowcooker. Less evaporation and more concentration of the flavours. I never skip on the authentlic sofrito ingredients, they are mandatory
It's raw garlic that gives garlic breath. Once the garlic is cooked, it doesn't give offensive breath. The thing most cooks get wrong with garlic is that they cook it too long at too high a temperature and make it bitter. When I add it to saute (for instance), I add it at the end and usually take the pan off-heat. A few minutes in the pan and then back to heat and deglaze with wine. Nice garlic hit with no bitterness and no bad breath.
On the browning the mince part I need to hear a while symposium of experts. I did the same procedure with my last batch of Bolognese: Let the water evaporate and then fry the grey meat. I do not know if this is the food-chemically correct way to do things. There is a reason why I switched to brisket as a base for my chilis . Thanks for the video though.
I´ve actually cooked his bolognese sauce a couple of years ago. in the video he says that you won´t taste the liver. but I definitely could, so that was a lie.
In usual Adam fashion, it is a little strange, but usually if you dig far enough you find someone doing something at least vaguely similar. I would probably use less carrots if the sauce is coming out too sweet instead of adding balsamic, but if nothing else, the dishes certainly look good!
I find that in order to break the rules of the recipe you have to have had made tge dish numerous times. By that point you’ll start to get a feel what you might prefer in the recipe or if you are constrained and need to clear out the fridge or cupboard.
Prior to the introduction of tomatoes, pasta and meat would have been heavily spiced with grains of paradise, ginger, cinnamon, clove, long pepper etc.
I don't think removing the sofrito is necessary, either. i like that adam makes cooking more accessible and makes hard to approach recipes for beginners easier, but i rarely agree with his tricks. as far as approachable italian cooking goes i'd always recommend vincenzo.
Careful James, don't criticize Adam - I pointed out a couple of things he did wrong with one of his recipes and his mad-dog defenders attacked me with their expansive McDonald's level knowledge of all things food. 🤣
The liver trick wouldn't work on me :p My mom once made a big pan full of curry chicken (or well, 2 hens) and missed one of the livers when removing the offal from the frozen birds, and all I could taste was liver (can't stand the taste unf, one of only 2 tastes i can't handle, liver, and warm banana in savory dishes). I always make my pasta sauce with a big splash of heavy cream (and also fresh garlic, a bit of chili, and some mushrooms).
"the one thing important in cooking is to always experiment. However, there are limitations." **Sad chili-jam noises** (Though I'm actually curious how that ended up tasting, original recipe or traditions be damned.)
I'm wondering why I never missed chicken liver in my ragu... 🤣🤣🤣 The problem with celery is that I have to buy a lot but need so little. The acidity for his ragu comes from wine and tomatoes. That's rather too much.
I will say, i made this recipe before. I scaled it back a little because at the time it was just me and my fiancée, but I can confirm it is a very very good sauce. It was balanced in the right ways and it was nicely flavored. Is it traditional? Hell no, but it very very good nonetheless
@@yuzu3754I see I rewatched it and I made a mistake, I was probably thinking about one of his other recipes, or of a similar bolognese from a different channel. So I was wrong about this video. I still really dislike him though.
I'm all for creativity in the kitchen but call it just a ragu then rather than bolognese as there are strict rules as laid down by Bologna’s Camera di Commercio of what exactly can go into a bolognese for it to be called ragu alla bolognese. This is translated from their site' INGREDIENTS AND DOSES (FOR 6 PEOPLE) Coarsely ground beef: 400 g; Fresh sliced pork belly, 150 g; half an onion, about 60 g; 1 carrot, about 60 g; 1 stick of celery, about 60 g; 1 glass of red or white wine; Tomato puree: 200 g; Double concentrated tomato paste: 1 tablespoon; 1 glass of whole milk (optional); Light meat or vegetable broth (also stock cube); Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons; Salt and pepper. ALLOWED VARIANTS 1) Mixed meats: beef (about 60%) and pork (about 40%) (loin or neck); 2) Minced meat; 3) Rolled or flat pork belly instead of fresh bacon; 4) A scent of nutmeg;
VARIANTS NOT ALLOWED 1) Veal pulp; 2) Smoked bacon; 3) Only pork; 4) Garlic, rosemary, parsley, other herbs or spices; 5) Brandy (in place of wine); 6) Flour (to thicken).
BOLOGNESE RAGOUT CAN BE ENRICHED WITH: 1) Chicken livers, hearts and gizzards; 2) Peeled and crumbled pork sausage; 3) Blanched peas added at the end of cooking; 4) Soaked dried porcini mushrooms.
The rules of bologna actually say it should be dry white wine, I think it's kind of redundant though since it's mostly adding acid which really isn't needed in a tomato heavy sauce.
Nah it was like that back then, but now both is completely accepted, it was even adjusted to both in the updated version of ragu bolognese from the accademia italiana italiana della cucina
@@Tudas I read teh bologna website within the last 2 weeks and it said dry white wine. But I don't think anyone should reall care, just take maby a little more note than what to Vincenzo says, ever.
Talking of searing the meat. The minced meet will anyway be cooked for hours. I don't see a problem with it boiling the first 10 minutes (as a result of too much meat in the pot), as long as it will be browned and seared after the water evaporates? Why is that a problem - can someone tell me?
I do add some balsamic vinegar in my spaghetti sauce, but I wouldn't call it "bolgnese", ever. It's not--it's tasty and we like it, but if I were making bolognese, I'd leave it out (along with the chicken livers--maybe, if well cleaned--and the chicken base--no chance.
This is absolutely appalling! I follow the receipt of the chef from Bologna called David on Vincenzo's Plate channel. My only variation is adding a couple of bay leaves.
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I made this yesterday! Let the meat sauce simmer for hours, it tasted great! Only problem was that I ran out of the sauce before finishing assembling the lasagna. 2 pounds of meat does NOT quite make 1 kilo!
"I love cooking with wine. Sometimes as an ingredient " Julia Child
thats a good one
If I remember rightly from Adam's other bolognese video, Lauren (his wife) dislikes celery, so that may well be why he doesn't use it.
I also dislike celery but always add it to my ragu. You can't taste it.
Sometimes you just have to divorce your wife
I get that Lauren might not be a fan, but honestly, celery adds such an essential depth to the flavor profile. You really only notice it if you overdo it, but when used sparingly it really rounds out the sauce.
Hey man, about the tomatoes in bolognese... The channel 'Pasta Grammar' made a video recently called 'Why We Don't Make "Traditional" Ragù alla Bolognese'... and according to them, the bologna chamber of commerce actually keeps an official recipe for ragu bolognese, as well as what variations/deviations are allowed. Until recently (2023), the recipe only called for a very small quantity of tomato paste.. it did not allow for tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. It did call for broth, like beef broth, to be added instead. This was updated in 2023 because everyone in bologna had used tomatoes for decades, as the official recipe has to be as conservative as possible, no fads allowed.
As to what came before that, allow me some educated guesses and inferences. Italians got tomatoes some time in the 1500s, so it was quite awhile ago, and early on they were believed to be poisonous and were grown ornamentally. So they probably started using them in foods in the late 1500s, early 1600s. Given that the good Italian tomatoes are grown farther south than Bologna near mount Vesuvio and beyond, Bologna has not historically been very big on tomatoes. The small amount of tomate paste that until recently was the only tomato "allowed" in bolognese, was probably fairly recent as well. Canning wasn't a thing until the 1800s. If you consider the "old" bologna recipe but without even the tomato paste, it's a pure meat sauce. In that context the wine becomes ever more important, and some vinegar would make a lot of sense, since you have no sweetness or acidity from tomatoes.
There's a big difference between traditional and authentic
Max Miller of Tasting History did a video on tomatoes and why Europeans thought they were poisonous.
Briefly it wasn't about the tomato itself, it was about the cooking vessel. The aristocracy and the titled people used pewter cookware and dishes. And acidic tomatoes and pewter don't mix. People were poisoned.
The average common person did not use pewter, they used other things. As Max said in his video a nobleman and his wife were traveling. When they stopped to eat at an inn they noticed people eating tomatoes. The nobleman was alarmed. Until he noticed what utensils and cookware they were using. I can't remember if he said that tale was true or not, but it did have to do with cooking tomatoes in reactive cookware. And using pewter dishes and serving ware.
There actually exists an 'old bologna' recipe and it is called ragù bianco. I think it's from Umbria (or Tuscany, sorry I forgot). Probably it was named retroactively to emphasize the lack of tomatoes.
As an aside, there is also a no-tomato ragù dish in Naples called Pasta alla genovese (despite the name, there is no connection to Genova). It is heavily loaded with sliced onions as soffrito. Probably the most unique meat pasta I have ever tasted
I am from Bari, Puglia (the heel of the boot), and, while we make bolognese the way they make it in the north, we have our own traditional ragù, that is more similar to the one they make in Naples.
No soffritto, just onion and bay (my grandma didn't use it though), and the meat is either in chunks or, more traditionally, we make rolls with a specific beef shoulder cut called paletta. We call them brasciole in barese. You put a tablespoon of a mix of pecorino romano, garlic and parsley in the middle of the slice of meat, roll it and pierce it closed with toothpicks. From there it goes on as any other meat based tomato sauce: brown the meat, deglaze with wine, add the passata and leave it to cook for hours, literally forget it on the stove.
It's typically served with orecchiette and a handful of pecorino or parmigiano.
That is for us what the Sunday roast is for the Brits.
There is actually a video on Vincenzo's channel where he tries a bunch of Ragu Bolognese, in Bologna, and from memory at least 1 does put livers in the sauce. I learned that trick from Vincenzo actually.
I have tried the livers and it's great, plus I've seen that in some traditional recipes in Bologna they use Livers. I think Vincenzo even talked or even experienced it.
Thank you for letting me know!
@@ChefJamesMakinson On Italia Squisita they said the traditional ragu was made with ground diaphragm, so hanger/skirt, which does taste a bit gamey, so recreating it in a similar simpler way with regular cuts and some innards makes a lot of sense.
I come from a half asian background and I can guarantee you liver is absolutely AMAZING in sauces. It looks gnarly when raw (...Oxford dictionary gnarly not Jamie gnarly) but it has such a luxurious texture, aroma, and flavor.
He's had to add the vinegar to counteract the sweetness from all those carrots.
In friuli, most north-east region of italy, we use basically the same recipe some ad bay or sage too. there is a recipe for white ragù here that uses. soffritto, herbs, butter (was more common than olive oil here) groundmeat (a mix beef +pork or boar or deer) mashrooms, red wine to deglaze, stock (beef /chiken) ,salt and pepper. that was served with polenta. it is a really old recipe but i don't really know how old.
olso yes, you can use different kinds of meat to make ragù. probably every region have it's own variation of this recipe with little changes. some even use cinnamon and peppers in their ragù recipe
Friuli my love.
Chicken liver, white wine and chicken stock are all ingredients that you'll see relatively regularly in Italian recipes for Ragu Bolognese.
I gotta say, while I appreciate Adam Ragusea’s take on a “strange” bolognese sauce, there are some tweaks I’d seriously consider. First off, I think adding liver could be fun--it gives that robust, meaty depth--but it should be complemented with a much heavier dose of fresh vegetables. In my opinion, the key flavor profile of a proper bolognese should come from the veggies rather than relying on canned tomatoes alone. Canned tomatoes can be a bit one-dimensional, whereas a hearty mirepoix (think carrots, onions, and celery) builds a richer, layered foundation.
Now, about the wine: I’m not built for drinking much wine--three glasses and I’m out, while I could knock back half a bottle of rum without batting an eye. So for me, a lighter or even a less assertive wine (or maybe even a quality white if you prefer) might work better in a long-simmered sauce, so it doesn’t overpower the other flavors or leave a bitter tannic aftertaste that some red wines tend to develop during extended cooking.
On the herb front, I’m all for fresh herbs because they pack a vibrant punch, but let’s be real: fresh herbs can cost an arm and a leg. I find that high-quality dried herbs--when used correctly--do the trick without breaking the bank. They’re concentrated and, if balanced right, can actually enhance the sauce without needing that “fancy” fresh flavor that might be overkill.
And speaking of salt, why rely solely on chicken bouillon? I’d argue that a vegetable-based bouillon might actually be better here. It’d boost the natural veggie flavors in the sauce and could be less salty overall--at least from my memory of making a truly balanced ragu. For me, too much vinegar just makes the sauce taste sour, so if you’re sensitive like I am, maybe dial back on the acid or substitute with something milder to keep the focus on the savory depth of the vegetables.
To sum it up: while Adam’s approach is an interesting twist, I’d love to see a version that leans more into a robust vegetable base with a smart balance of fresh (or well-selected dried) herbs, a gentler wine component, and perhaps a veggie bouillon to let the natural flavors shine through. That, in my opinion, would elevate the dish from “strange” to authentically epic bolognese sauce.
Vinegar? Adam has stated in several videos that he likes much more acid than most people.
Which kind of acid? Sulphuric acid, amino acid, maybe battery acid?
Adam's taste buds are generally completely broken it seems. The stuff and amounts he puts in his dishes is just gross.
For browning ground beef I agree with Adam. Wait a bit and once the water boils off you'll get good browning with the remaining tallow. I also agree with the bullion paste or powder - it adds flavor and MSG for umami. And yes, fresh herbs are best but.... gotta make a living too.
I always love it when you throw in those little cooking tips! Awesome video James!
Thanks for another informative video. This recipe seems overly complicated, but ok - I feel it should cook longer than 2 hours, but maybe not with the chicken livers? And I think he added a tablespoonful of salt along with the dried herbs - along with the huge dollop of boullion, it seems like it would be salty.
In Greece we make "makaronia me kima" (macaroni with ground meat) all the time. My mother's recipe is with soffrito, ground beef, tomato paste, maybe a small garlic clove, wine or cognac (depending on how she felt) and not so much tomato - passata or grated fresh tomatoes, if in season, maybe a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes were a little sour. And a cinnamon stick - that is a necessity.
I've known about the chicken liver thing for many years. I've made it myself a few times, and I really like it. But I usually make a very simple ragout: minced meat, onion, garlic, a little tomato paste and a little stock. Seasoned with bay leaves, pepper, salt and a little oregano. A very compact sauce, but full of meaty flavour. Simple, but incredibly good and ready in just a few minutes.
I've got to throw in some defense for the Balsamic Vinegar. Amounts used not withstanding, the sour and subtle sweet flavor it adds when cooked really brighten up savory and fatty dishes without having a super distinct flavor like Malt vinegar or citrus juice.
there are so many cans of tomatoes that I'd have acid reflux for the rest of my life.
the chicken bouillon stuff he uses is amazing. I used to take a spoonful and add it to some hot water and it was a nice winter drink
I like Adam approach to cooking not getting too caught up in what is right or proper cause in the end the food should be flavored to your own tastes.
Watching your videos is always so educational.
Idea with the frozen cubes is really cool 😎
Totally with Adam on the balsamic.. I thought I was the only one but I always put some good balsamic in my ragu. It’s fruity, sweet, sharp and tangy and works great with the tomatoes. Lifts it to another level (plus the family loves it).
I can't get enough of your face chef when you see Adam adding balsamic vinegar 😂
Also I just wanted to say that I've been a fan of your channel for a few years now. I have taken a lot from your tips and techniques over the years. Thanks for what you do chef!
You shouldnt have reviewed it with Vinzenzo. He just makes it up as he goes along. 🤣
This was an interesting video. I don’t think I would ever try this recipe. I always enjoy your commentary and cooking tips. They help me improve my cooking greatly and I appreciate that.
I love using lots of fresh basil, its all about that oil, and you can just remove the stem instead of getting those sticky bits in the sauce. I also put MSG in the sauce, totally not Italian style, but it enhances the sauce, make it taste a little more expensive.
You said that you prefer red wine in beef dishes, but I find that when used in that quantity and simmered for that amount of time, it can become bitter from the tannins. Unless I'm doing a pan sauce that will cook in minutes, I use white wine, even with beef. After 3 hours of simmering, a lot of the complexity of the red wine will reduce over time, so the end result will be about the same.
In Naples we have the Bolognese, which is essentially a Bolognese ragù but with a lot of tomato
Livers are traditional in northern Italy but it is a notable flavor and my kids definitely tasted them when I added them. I would not add dried herbs they they overpower the dish. I do add cream. And nutmeg. Whit wine.
A little vinegar is good in that style of sauce especially if the tomatoes are really sweet. Standard balsamic does add a little red wine flavor as well. ( Look at a bottle of cheap balsamic here in the USA... Cooked grape must is usually the second ingredient. Would you find it odd if he added a hot sauce if he said he liked it that way? Hot sauce is hot peppers and vinegar. I keep a bottle of homemade enhancer on my counter, equal parts balsamic vinegar, chipotle hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. It goes well with many meat based dishes.
You absolutely need the celery for the mirepoix, there is no comparison. It produces a great umami flavor when all three are used.
yes!
in some dishes i like to use cellery root instead of cellery, but generally cellery is very important.
He mentioned once before his wife hates it, some people taste it akin to soap too.
@@chuckmiller5763 Unless you have someone in he house who hates the flavor of celery. :) (But if that’s his reason, he could have mentioned it.
The dill family seems to be a major divider - I’ve noticed that many people, if they don like one herb/spice from that family, they have problems with others too, tho not necessarily all of them. Coriander, cumin, caraway and fennel seem to be the major ones. Sometimes dill too. Coriander seed usually seems to get a pass; cilantro not so much.
@ When used correctly in mirepoix, there is no celery flavor left, it becomes a unique flavor combined with the onion and carrot.
@@chuckmiller5763 if she hates it she hates it, stop being a boomer about it.
I'm interested about that balsamic vinegar, i have never used that brand but i do have 2 really different balsamic vinegars in closet, The difference between these 2 is like the difference between "normal" soy sauce and ketjap manis (sweet indonesian soy sauce)...
he might add it in in order to avoid using salt, because if you don't use salt, you need to cover it by adding other flavours, usually acidity.. i do this and it is REALLY hard (which is why most chefs don't do it) and you need a ton of herbs and spices to cover for the salt. and the small amount of salt that i do use, usually comes in with another flavour, like soy sauce or beef stock
Oh and if you are wondering why avoid salt, medical reasons and western people get about 200-300% too much salt daily, like if you grab MCsalad and then at home eat 2x slice of bread with cheese and ham, that is basicly it... everything else you eat that day should be saltless. Oh and everything has salt nowdays, even coke..
Also +10 points for mixing the pasta into a sauce in a different pot. I always do this because i don't want the pasta mess up my main sauce that i eat for 3-4 days
With the amount of chicken liver and chicken bouillon Adam used, if I was to replicate this, I'd just use goose or muscovy duck meat instead of beef tbh.
That sounds interesting. I'm not a huge fan of liver in general unless it's foie gras.
My husband would add vinegar to his stews just before the end.. tasted lovely, never though thought of adding it to this 😊
When I learned to make a Ragū at an italian restaurant 30 years ago the italians chefs used chicken liver as well. Unfortunately I can’t remember from which region those cooks came from.
I use smoked salt and when i can't find that, i add liquid smoke to sea salt.
Dude almost pulled a HowToBasic on the carrot chopping part! 😂
Chef James reacting to Adam Ragusea, and even a pinch of Uncle Roger. The perfect recipe!
James, if it's a bolognese ragu, it's a meat sauce by definition.
BTW, I have an old Griswold cast iron Dutch oven. It's great for this.
No balsamic!
YES! Thanks For this ❤❤❤❤
You're so welcome!
My husband and father in law like when I add cream to my spaghetti sauce. I sometimes add wine to my spaghetti sauce but I prefer tequila. Which sounds weird but it works really well in spaghetti.
I tried to follow this recipe but used red wine instead -- it's good, but I think white wine is better, I think the sauce doesn't need the bitter note of red wine (tannin).
I made this exactly as is, and it was delicious. I agree that some of the ingredients are weird, and it wasnt traditional. But it was stellar sauce.
I think balsamic vinegar tastes very good in a bolognaise sauce, even if it’s not traditionally used.
Thank you for this. The video was enjoyable.
Glad you enjoyed it!
With ground beef I the highest fat content if there to much I remove the excess it's cheaper and the fattier the mince the nicer the flavour. Also, any excess beef fat can be used in other recipes
Now this is Def a recipe you need to make 😂😂😂
I have no idea what bolognese sauce is but it looks great! Great video chef James! Don’t forget the Afghani Chicken though!
10:29 Maybe Max in Tasting History channel has a video of that, anyway it is very interesting channel to check out. Never used balsamic to bolognese sauce but cream I have used many times.
i'd be curious to know your thoughts on when to use dried herbs vs fresh. are dried herbs used in professional dishes or is that just a home cook/basic restaurant thing?
in my country of origin sofrito is made with onions, garlic and bell peppers, no carrots and no celery.
My local supermarket doesn't even have celery, only celery root.
Thanks for a great upload dude 👍❤
you are welcome!
Any low and slow sauce does not need much salt. Everything you put there is high in natural salts once reduced.
@@sazji Celery is only a part of the salt sources. All root vegetables, minced meat have enough salt after the reduction. I think you wanted to reply to the video. :)
@@mckidney1 Oops, glitch. I was trying to reply to an entirely different comment, not sure how that happened. 😅
Being a cook for school groups with mostly kids, I actually prefer blending my soffritto and trick them into eating more vegetables 😂
This should be the next recreation chef... I am super interested on your thoughts on the liver... The balsamic and the liver and Balsamic together.
i actually like to use balsamic vinegar in tomato soup and sauce. also a bit of sweet paprika. and sugar. sometimes the ny bit of dried chilli, but really tiny. shouldn't make it spicy just a tad pronounced.
Italian Sausage it the Go to lose the Vinegar. I will try Chicken Livers and gizzards
Thank you for sharing
I've had this idea for a dish that works so well with your "experiment when cooking" comment, it's a take on cacio e pepe, I don't lnow if the naming convention is correct, but i call it Quattro e quattro, essentialky a four pepper four cheese cacio e pepe.
Using a food processor or a box grater for vegetables is fine, if you're willing to put in more time into cleaning your tool than you saved compared to using a knife ;)
I use very little garlic, Italians don't like strong garlic tastes and neither do I (bad breath etc.). After adding all ingredients and it has to cook on low heat for a long time, I let it simmer in a slowcooker. Less evaporation and more concentration of the flavours.
I never skip on the authentlic sofrito ingredients, they are mandatory
It's raw garlic that gives garlic breath. Once the garlic is cooked, it doesn't give offensive breath. The thing most cooks get wrong with garlic is that they cook it too long at too high a temperature and make it bitter. When I add it to saute (for instance), I add it at the end and usually take the pan off-heat. A few minutes in the pan and then back to heat and deglaze with wine. Nice garlic hit with no bitterness and no bad breath.
Not sure about the livers.. never tried them before. Thanks for the video
On the browning the mince part I need to hear a while symposium of experts. I did the same procedure with my last batch of Bolognese: Let the water evaporate and then fry the grey meat. I do not know if this is the food-chemically correct way to do things. There is a reason why I switched to brisket as a base for my chilis . Thanks for the video though.
Dutch ovens: is it better to get enamel or uncoated? I’m willing to season. Thanks!
5:00 didnt he prefect bolognese guy from bologna put the ground beef into the veggis and wine and just cooked them until grey?
I´ve actually cooked his bolognese sauce a couple of years ago. in the video he says that you won´t taste the liver. but I definitely could, so that was a lie.
In usual Adam fashion, it is a little strange, but usually if you dig far enough you find someone doing something at least vaguely similar. I would probably use less carrots if the sauce is coming out too sweet instead of adding balsamic, but if nothing else, the dishes certainly look good!
I still do not understand why plastic cutting boards are still legal in the EU.
Adam didn't seem to drain any fat off the ground meat before adding the rest. Look at how wet it is when he's adding the tomato paste..... 😮😁
I find that in order to break the rules of the recipe you have to have had made tge dish numerous times. By that point you’ll start to get a feel what you might prefer in the recipe or if you are constrained and need to clear out the fridge or cupboard.
I think in Abruzzo they might use lamb for ragù, not 100% sure but they might
Prior to the introduction of tomatoes, pasta and meat would have been heavily spiced with grains of paradise, ginger, cinnamon, clove, long pepper etc.
So carrots, I don't peel them... mainly because I am lazy. But I have never found the resulting dish 'bitter'.
I don't think removing the sofrito is necessary, either. i like that adam makes cooking more accessible and makes hard to approach recipes for beginners easier, but i rarely agree with his tricks. as far as approachable italian cooking goes i'd always recommend vincenzo.
The one time I did use balsamic vinegar in a sauce was when I had friends over who where turkish muslims, so I could not use any wine.
Adam is awesome! Please react to more of his work😊😊😊
So I don’t know how to make bolognese but watching the video I thought this was how you make bolognese 😆
Veal is nice for a bolognese first time I'd eaten veal I was in France no regrets.
Thanks James 😁👍🏻
I can hear Vincenzo cry from here!
Adding Vinegar is wild
Careful James, don't criticize Adam - I pointed out a couple of things he did wrong with one of his recipes and his mad-dog defenders attacked me with their expansive McDonald's level knowledge of all things food. 🤣
Lets see if youre still laughing when you taste my McNUGGET METEOR STORM!
@drakdragon That actually sounds quite tasty.. do share!
The liver trick wouldn't work on me :p
My mom once made a big pan full of curry chicken (or well, 2 hens) and missed one of the livers when removing the offal from the frozen birds, and all I could taste was liver (can't stand the taste unf, one of only 2 tastes i can't handle, liver, and warm banana in savory dishes).
I always make my pasta sauce with a big splash of heavy cream (and also fresh garlic, a bit of chili, and some mushrooms).
"the one thing important in cooking is to always experiment. However, there are limitations."
**Sad chili-jam noises**
(Though I'm actually curious how that ended up tasting, original recipe or traditions be damned.)
Hope you are doing great! I am looking for a vegetable broth recipe. Any suggestions?
yes use my chicken stock recipe and add more veggies without the chicken
Ok 👍
I'm wondering why I never missed chicken liver in my ragu...
🤣🤣🤣
The problem with celery is that I have to buy a lot but need so little. The acidity for his ragu comes from wine and tomatoes. That's rather too much.
Way oh way did you show Jack almost spoiling otherwise a fine cooking segment ok comic relief, and a nice video
I will say, i made this recipe before. I scaled it back a little because at the time it was just me and my fiancée, but I can confirm it is a very very good sauce. It was balanced in the right ways and it was nicely flavored. Is it traditional? Hell no, but it very very good nonetheless
Thanks for sharing!
Then don't defend Adam who presented it as the traditional sauce.
EDIT: Sorry my mistake it's not in this video.
@@noamto only he didn't presented it as traditional.
@@yuzu3754I see I rewatched it and I made a mistake, I was probably thinking about one of his other recipes, or of a similar bolognese from a different channel. So I was wrong about this video.
I still really dislike him though.
I'm all for creativity in the kitchen but call it just a ragu then rather than bolognese as there are strict rules as laid down by Bologna’s Camera di Commercio of what exactly can go into a bolognese for it to be called ragu alla bolognese. This is translated from their site'
INGREDIENTS AND DOSES (FOR 6 PEOPLE)
Coarsely ground beef: 400 g; Fresh sliced pork belly, 150 g; half an onion, about 60 g; 1 carrot, about 60 g; 1 stick of celery, about 60 g; 1 glass of red or white wine; Tomato puree: 200 g; Double concentrated tomato paste: 1 tablespoon; 1 glass of whole milk (optional); Light meat or vegetable broth (also stock cube); Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons; Salt and pepper.
ALLOWED VARIANTS
1) Mixed meats: beef (about 60%) and pork (about 40%) (loin or neck);
2) Minced meat;
3) Rolled or flat pork belly instead of fresh bacon;
4) A scent of nutmeg;
VARIANTS NOT ALLOWED
1) Veal pulp;
2) Smoked bacon;
3) Only pork;
4) Garlic, rosemary, parsley, other herbs or spices;
5) Brandy (in place of wine);
6) Flour (to thicken).
BOLOGNESE RAGOUT CAN BE ENRICHED WITH:
1) Chicken livers, hearts and gizzards;
2) Peeled and crumbled pork sausage;
3) Blanched peas added at the end of cooking;
4) Soaked dried porcini mushrooms.
But Adam has, "Ragu," right in his name, yo! hahaha
The rules of bologna actually say it should be dry white wine, I think it's kind of redundant though since it's mostly adding acid which really isn't needed in a tomato heavy sauce.
Nah it was like that back then, but now both is completely accepted, it was even adjusted to both in the updated version of ragu bolognese from the accademia italiana italiana della cucina
Wait, so Bologna doesn't advise putting Bologna into the Bolognese sauce?
@@Tudas I read teh bologna website within the last 2 weeks and it said dry white wine. But I don't think anyone should reall care, just take maby a little more note than what to Vincenzo says, ever.
Chicken liver is authentic. Too much Tomatoes, off course, but he said it. No garlic, no dired herbs and no vinegar. And add milk at the end.
One bottle of Primitivo for the Bolognese and one bottle for me~~
Talking of searing the meat. The minced meet will anyway be cooked for hours. I don't see a problem with it boiling the first 10 minutes (as a result of too much meat in the pot), as long as it will be browned and seared after the water evaporates? Why is that a problem - can someone tell me?
No never liver and I am from Avellino
James , try making a rasgulla
I do add some balsamic vinegar in my spaghetti sauce, but I wouldn't call it "bolgnese", ever. It's not--it's tasty and we like it, but if I were making bolognese, I'd leave it out (along with the chicken livers--maybe, if well cleaned--and the chicken base--no chance.
"Liver gets gritty if you overcook it." Proceeds to add it to a dish that cooks for hours.
Americans are masters of low & slow cooking.
This is absolutely appalling! I follow the receipt of the chef from Bologna called David on Vincenzo's Plate channel. My only variation is adding a couple of bay leaves.