Why does restaurant Bolognese taste better than mine?

vernplum

vernplum

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I've been trying to perfect Ragu alla Bolognese for several years (I attempt it maybe once every one or two months). I have been following the official recipe, I have used the best ingredients available to me without skimping (good meat, good wine, good pancetta, San Marzano tomatoes) but it just doesn't have that 'special something' that I taste when I eat it in a hotel or restaurant.

Pre-covid I traveled overseas on business once or twice a month where I usually stay in decent international chain hotels with good kitchens and would always try the Bolognese. They all taste better than mine. I'd sometimes chat to the chef to find out their ingredients, but maybe they are keeping the secret thing a secret. :) At home, I'm beginning to feel that mine is very bland.

Tried various things: browning the meat, not browning the meat. Mixing beef and pork. Tried pelati, passata, puree.... I've varied the seasoning of course..

What is that elusive something? Can the true authentic recipe still knock your socks off, or is there a modern evolved version that I haven't discovered yet?
 
Could you try to describe what is it that your bolognese is lacking? How does yours taste compared to the ones you eat outside your home?
 
I suppose it would be a certain savouriness (dare I say umami?). Adding more salt doesn't help after a point. It lacks a 'beefiness' perhaps and some 'body'?
 
Soffrito of finely chopped celery, carrot, onion in 1:1:1 ratio sweated for about 10 minutes after pancetta is rendered.
 
BTW - the tomatoes I can get here are Annalisa DOP San Marzanos (quite acidic I find), or Cirio (not S.M.). I've tried both - not sure if these are good brands but that's what there is (unless I want to buy Aussie or US tomatoes). The paste I use is Mutti brand and I've tried Mutti passata and also De Cecco one.
 
vernplum said:
Yes - i use milk as per the recipe ratio which I add about 15 mins before the end of cooking. I also tried with creme fraiche stirred in at the end. I've tried butter or olive oil.
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Ok.
The meat used is usually coarsely minced beef, preferably in the cuts of flank, belly and shoulder.
A glass of milk almost at the end is a must - as you did. Not creme fraiche though, never.
The soffritto is also a must. There is no Bolognese sauce without soffritto, i.e. carrot, celery and onion cut into small cubes.
Some people use only tomato purèe instead of using peeled tomatoes or tomato sauce.
 
To add beefiness you could add mushrooms (champignon, Shitaake, boletus), soy sauce, tomatoe concentrate, pure MSG or anchovies paste. Maybe you don't have a proper broth at home, it's not easy to make a good, rich broth. Sauce a la ragu should simmer for a long time, 3-4 hours minimum. The time brings a change to the taste of the sauce sauce. Stay healthy
 
MypinchofItaly said:
Ok.
The meat used is usually coarsely minced beef, preferably in the cuts of flank, belly and shoulder.
A glass of milk almost at the end is a must - as you did. Not creme fraiche though, never.
The soffritto is also a must. There is no Bolognese sauce without soffritto, i.e. carrot, celery and onion cut into small cubes.
Some people use only tomato purèe instead of using peeled tomatoes or tomato sauce.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. TBH I don't know what part of the cow the mince is coming from. I buy supermarket mince usually grass fed Aussie beef. It's quite lean, or there's a butcher near here who just sells 'minced beef'. No idea where it comes from or what bit of the animal. :) What sort of fat ratio should I be looking at (with the pancetta fat, the sauce is already quite silky).
 
PabloLerntKochen said:
To add beefiness you could add mushrooms (champignon, Shitaake, boletus), soy sauce, tomatoe concentrate, pure MSG or anchovies paste. Maybe you don't have a proper broth at home, it's not easy to make a good, rich broth. Sauce a la ragu should simmer for a long time, 3-4 hours minimum. The time brings a change to the taste of the sauce sauce. Stay healthy
Click to expand...

I simmer for at least 3 hours. I use tomato paste - about 2-3 tbsp depending on volume. Maybe I should up this?
 
MypinchofItaly said:
The meat needs to brown on a high flame, the vegetables need to wilt gently.
Did you use meat or vegetable broth? I'd go with the meat broth.
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I've tried them all, but lately, I use Campbells Real Beef Stock.

I brown the mince on a high flame till it's dry, but not burned. Maybe I should get bit more colour on it?
 
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