The Six-Hour Stick: Better Bolognese!

On a recent assignment for The American Magazine I tried my hand at that thick and meaty crowd pleaser, Bolognese, or more generally, ragù.

I won't give too much away, so check out the April issue of the magazine (in print if you live in Italy, otherwise online).

Whether it tops gnocchi, spaghetti, pappardelle (my favorite), shells, or lines a lasagna, a solid Bolognese sauce makes or breaks a meal.

What I want to talk about is timing. Ragù is one of few Italian dishes that simply cannot be made in a rush. Unlike most recipes, which are actually quite fast, ragù requires time, tasting, and stirring. I also believe in the magic of cooking in company with a glass of wine, so get together with good friends and open a good bottle. A steaming pot of Bolognese sauce is the best excuse to catch up, and you're going to have a lot of time.

Six hours to be precise. You can get away with four, but come on.

I asked great chefs, friends, and friends who are great chefs, flipped through scores of magazines, scoured the Internet, and finally made my own. There's really no getting around it. The sauce just kept getting better and better as it stewed away. And I wasn't drinking wine or anything else!

For starters, the soffritto (minced onion, carrot, celery, and your choice of pancetta, lardo or not) should cook slowly with plenty of olive oil for at least a half an hour. This happens at the beginning, so you shouldn't even be tipsy yet, because you absolutely must not burn it!

The next steps:
- the addition of the meat (ground beef or a combination of beef, veal, and pork)
- the herbs (sage, rosemary, juniper, cinnamon, nutmeg...mix and match until you find your favorite)
-the addition of milk, red wine, white wine, or a combination
- addition of tomato paste and tomato sauce

Stirring, reducing, evaporation, and a series of chemical changes are integral to creating a masterful ragù as you procede.

I made two different varieties- one with red wine and one with milk. I'm happy to report that both of them improved by the hour, and after six, they clung to the wooden spoon in sumptuous little clumps. You can only imagine how they clung to the pappardelle!

For my recipes, check out the American Magazine in April, or check back with me when I update this post!

Buon Appetito!