Whats missing from my bologneise?

MissMotivated

I've been making my own bologneise for a few months but lately it tastes like there's something missing.
I use plum tinned tomtatoes, tomatoe puree, chilli, basil, pepper, last night I also added paprika. veg is usually carrot, mushroom, red/green pepper, brocolli, onion, mangetout, baby corn.
I love the Dolmio sauce and a few times I made my own a while ago it tasted exactly like that but I can't remember what I did differently those times! I've been using different types of tinned tomatoes to see if that chnges the taste.
Any ideas?

realmadrid

Garlic?

juke

lardons of Bacon

MissMotivated

Garlic?

I actually though of that this morning. I'm pretty sure I've only used it once or twice when making it, always forget to buy it. Will def add it in the next time, hope it makes a difference. I love bologneise and it's a good way for me to get my veg in but it's just very bland

MissMotivated

juke wrote: »

lardons of Bacon

What's that just bacon pieces or something?

Beetlebum

That sounds lovely. Maybe try adding a small teaspoon of sugar and some oregano or fresh leaf basil (huge difference to dried basil). Also cracked black pepper and a dash of red wine.

This sounds weird too but it's absolutley delicious. If you get some nice black puudding like Clonakilty and add it to the mince it gives the dish a whole new dimension. Try it, it's gorgeous!!

Maybe add a stock cube too? Just crumble up an oxo beef stock cube...

MissMotivated

Beetlebum wrote: »

That sounds lovely. Maybe try adding a small teaspoon of sugar and some oregano or fresh leaf basil (huge difference to dried basil). Also cracked black pepper and a dash of red wine.

This sounds weird too but it's absolutley delicious. If you get some nice black puudding like Clonakilty and add it to the mince it gives the dish a whole new dimension. Try it, it's gorgeous!!

Maybe add a stock cube too? Just crumble up an oxo beef stock cube...

Some great ideas there Beetlebum thanks. I just need to start experimenting some more with my cooking really

Beetlebum

Garlic is essential in a good bolognese in my opinion so make sure to add it.
To make things easier you can buy pre chopped garlic or garlci puree to save you having to chop up (I know loads of people hate chopping garlic!).

I sometimes add a dash of tobassco to mine or some cayenne peppr just to give it a kick. Yours does sound lovely as it is though aside from lacking garlic.

Garlic bread goes great with bolognese but is super fattening so I make my own. It's not as nice as the ones smothered in butter I admit but it's still lovely.
I get a wholemeal roll/bap and take out of teh extra 'filling'. I lightly spread with butter, crushed garlic and herbs and grill it. You can top with cheese or add grated courgette or tomatoe to be even healthier!

Enjoy:)

MissMotivated

Beetlebum wrote: »

Garlic is essential in a good bolognese in my opinion so make sure to add it.
To make things easier you can buy pre chopped garlic or garlci puree to save you having to chop up (I know loads of people hate chopping garlic!).

I sometimes add a dash of tobassco to mine or some cayenne peppr just to give it a kick. Yours does sound lovely as it is though aside from lacking garlic.

Garlic bread goes great with bolognese but is super fattening so I make my own. It's not as nice as the ones smothered in butter I admit but it's still lovely.
I get a wholemeal roll/bap and take out of teh extra 'filling'. I lightly spread with butter, crushed garlic and herbs and grill it. You can top with cheese or add grated courgette or tomatoe to be even healthier!

Enjoy:)

Excellent thanks so much

samhail

I think we just started putting in a sweet and sour with the dolmio sauce - gives a whole new taste.

so when are you going to be cooking this gorgeous meal for us ?

rubadub

In Asian type stores you get jars of minced garlic really cheap, some have massive jars.

MissMotivated

samhail wrote: »

I think we just started putting in a sweet and sour with the dolmio sauce - gives a whole new taste.

so when are you going to be cooking this gorgeous meal for us ?

It's in the post

I love the Dolmio sauce but just started making my own sauce to make it healthier

MissMotivated

rubadub wrote: »

In Asian type stores you get jars of minced garlic really cheap, some have massive jars.

I'm pretty sure there's an Asian store near where I work and I've been meaning to get some stuff there, will look for that too thanks!!

beertons

I put crushed chilli in mine, gives it an extra bite.

spurious

If you can learn how to paste garlic it's a useful skill to have. It does away with the 'repeating' that garlic does on some people and gets the garlic flavour completely through the dish.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4771796_paste-garlic.html

Mr. Presentable

On October 17, 1982, the Bolognese chapter of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, announced the following recipe to be the official one.


400 grams fresh tagliatelle or fettucine
300 grams minced beef – The recommended cut is thin flank aka skirt (finta cartella in Italian) but any good quality mince will do.
150 grams unsmoked pancetta — minced very finely
50 grams carrot — finely chopped or minced
50 grams celery — finely chopped or minced
50 grams onion — finely chopped or minced
30 grams triple concentrated tomato puree(if using double concentrated, increase the quantity by about a 1/3)
1/2 glass red or white wine
180 milliliters fresh milk
olive oil
salt and pepper


Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until it starts to release its fat. Be careful not to burn.
Add the vegetables and fry until the onions are transparent, stirring from time to time.
Add the beef and cook until it is lightly browned. When it starts to make popping noises, it’s done.
Add the tomato puree and the wine and mix well.
Add the milk, little by little until it is completely absorbed.
Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook very slowly for 3 to 4 hours.
Stir occasionally and if it looks like drying out, add a little more milk.
Serve with Fettuccine or Tagliatelle (NOT Spaghetti!)
Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side. Alternatively toss the pasta first in a little butter and then in Parmesan before adding the meat sauce.
Variation: The Academy allows the addition of Porcini mushrooms.

True ragù alla Bolognese contains no tomato sauce — just enough fresh or canned tomato to add a hint of sweetness and another layer of flavor to a subtle, complex mix. Like all ragùs, Bolognese is characterized by its long, slow cooking, which in this case starts with simmering the meat in milk (to mellow the acidity of the raw tomatoes added later) and wine (some use white, others red), after which the tomatoes are added. The whole lot is cooked together for about two hours

Source

barbiegirl

A couple of things
fry up some sliced garlic and onions
Then add the mince and brown it, add the veggies (though I have to say I don't, serving with a green salad instead)
Then you
Tinned Tomatoes
Tin of Tomato puree (1 tin of puree for each tin of tomotoes)
good dash of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
dash of Worchester sauce
small dash of tobasco
then a good grounding of black pepper, majoram, rosemary, basil, tarragon (only a little)
Let it all simmer away for at least 20 minutes.
This recipe I learnt from my hibbie and it is defo the best I've ever had.

MissMotivated

Thanks a million for the great replies, can't wait to try these out, oh I'll make a cook out of myself yet

The Hill Billy

Beetlebum wrote: »

Maybe try adding a small teaspoon of sugar

^^ That ^^ & the garlic are what you were missing.

Pembily

I was on camp with scouts before and I always buy the bland sauce to prevent kids not eating - I didn't make the dinner a mum did and I was eating it thinking this is gorgeous - she added soya sauce and red wine vinegar, sounds daft but I have done it since and its gorgeous!!! Garlic is essential :)

Enjoy!x

Dizzyblonde

I put in a teaspoon of sugar per tin of tomatoes - it counteracts the acidity in the tomatoes and makes a huge difference to the sauce.

brick tamland

+ 1 on the jars of minced garlic. I got one recently. Saves the hassle in mincing the garlic and got a big jar in the asian shop for less than €2.

I aslo like some have said here like a bit of chilli in my bologneise, although that probably means it cant be called bologneise any more.

Dinkie

+ 1 on the wine, garlic and a dash of vinegar.

I add celery if I have it, and often put all the vege in a blender (garlic, onion, and then seperately celery, carrot and what ever else vege). It creates a paste and yields more flavour to the sauce that way. I also have a very fussy sister and can get her to each veg that way.

Also I add nutmeg at the end which is completely yummy and often a dash of worcestershire sauce.

I also use passata instead of tinned tomatoes as I prefer the consistency and don't find it as watery sometimes (although this could be my imagination).

Mr. Presentable

If you find it watery you are not cooking it for long enough. The recommendation is two hours......

Miaireland

I agree about the bacon and garlic. I would also suggest putting a splash of red wine.

sarahlulu

balsamic vinegar is gorgeous in bolognaise

MissMotivated

There has been so much stuff mentioned I never even thought of adding!! Must make a shopping list

Eviledna

A small amount of freshly grated nutmeg works so well too, gives a smoky nutty flavour. Sun dried tomatoes work well if you can't get your hands on the lardons.

Can I recommend Aldi for the ingredients? It has them all at half the price, whole nutmeg, bacon cubes, chopped tomatoes and puree, sun dried tomatoes etc.

crótach

I see plenty have commented on it.. I use pretty much whatever's left in the house (peppers, mushrooms, carrots, courgettes etc) but the base is the same as yours.

The main difference is, I start off by frying chopped onions on a bit of olive oil, then add vegetables, and then add mince and spices. Wine goes immediately with the mince to give it moisture and cook with the meat. If I'm adding chillies they go in the last 5 minutes so they don't lose the flavor.

1) Use red wine (I use cheap Chianti from Lidl)
2) Use passata (sieved tomatoes) instead of tinned chopped tomatoes.
3) Add oregano

I cook it until the liquid is reduced to the consistency that I prefer, and I like to know that the mince is thoroughly cooked, so we're probably looking at 30 mins end-to-end, but I never timed it.

namurt

I would definitely try a dash of worcestershire sauce, it makes a big difference. Have been meaning to defrost some mince and make a bolognese for a while now. Really must do it.

Maglight

Garlic, red wine, oregano, bay leaf and a teaspoon of sugar per tin of tomatoes is essential. Bake the sauce in the oven rather than cooking on the hob - makes the taste more intense.

Cook for a minimum of two hours. Three to four hours at a low temperature is best. The Italians say you should cook it from sunrise to sunset.

In general, you should either cook tomatoes for less than ten minutes (for a fresh tasting sauce) or for longer than 1 hour for a rich, sweet sauce. Anything in between, the natural bitterness of tomatoes comes out and the sauce won't taste good.

gaoife

HI

I always add a tablespoon of pesto, the red pepper one is really good and it flavours the sause nicely.
I also always use garlie, in everything!! it's so so good for you and also tabasco and bayleaf

Yummy

MissMotivated

Thanks for all the great replies lads, my boyfriend can be my guinea pig when I try them out!!!:)

aidan24326

Beetlebum wrote: »

Garlic is essential in a good bolognese in my opinion so make sure to add it.
To make things easier you can buy pre chopped garlic or garlci puree to save you having to chop up (I know loads of people hate chopping garlic!).

I would very much agree with that. Traditional Italian bolognese recipes do not include garlic but I would consider it essential, as most people here seem to agree.

A splash of red wine also makes a big difference, really adds a richness of flavour to the sauce. And aswell as basil use a sprinkle of oregano also. Tesco do a wild oregano which is really good.

pog it

I'm really confused about in what order you do this.

Is it that you cook veg separately first til almost cooked?
And cook mince until browned, then add in your sauce and veg and let stew on hob for 2 hours? Would that work out?

Also do you do the sauce separately too or can it go in with mince pot? (I've never made my own sauce and I'm thinking if you cooked the sauce on its own would it not be watery with the wine/herbs/tomatoes?

Beetlebum

pog it wrote: »

I'm really confused about in what order you do this.

Is it that you cook veg separately first til almost cooked?
And cook mince until browned, then add in your sauce and veg and let stew on hob for 2 hours? Would that work out?

Also do you do the sauce separately too or can it go in with mince pot? (I've never made my own sauce and I'm thinking if you cooked the sauce on its own would it not be watery with the wine/herbs/tomatoes?

The way I do it is as follows -

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the mince. I always drain off all the fat and use good quality mince cause it makes the world of difference.
I then leave the cooked mince aside.

Next I gently fry garlic, onions, finely diced leeks and tomatoes. I then add the mince, a crumbled up beef stock cube, Clonakilty black pudding (optional), herbs and spices. Then I add a tin (or 2) of tomatoes, some red wine, some balsamic vinegar and some water. Add some tomatoe purree and bring to the boil. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Simmer for hours....and hours....an hours.....serve with red wine (essential:)), some garlic crusty bread and salad....bellisssssimo!!

tscul32

The spoon of sugar is what I'd see as missing. Even a splodge of tomato ketchup would provide the sweetness to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes which is heightened when tinned chopped tomatooes are used. Tins of whole tomatoes are not as bad and they will cook down to much anyway.

oldscoil

My mother in law put fennel in her's......:) Amazing.

Time is also a great ingredient for bolognese and chili.

Make it on a Monday, and leave it a day or two in the fridge mmmmmmmmm

Faith

Grr, went to take some mince out to make bolognaise after reading this thread, only to find we have none! Damn!

pog it

Beetlebum wrote: »

The way I do it is as follows -

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the mince. I always drain off all the fat and use good quality mince cause it makes the world of difference.
I then leave the cooked mince aside.

Next I gently fry garlic, onions, finely diced leeks and tomatoes. I then add the mince, a crumbled up beef stock cube, Clonakilty black pudding (optional), herbs and spices. Then I add a tin (or 2) of tomatoes, some red wine, some balsamic vinegar and some water. Add some tomatoe purree and bring to the boil. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Simmer for hours....and hours....an hours.....serve with red wine (essential:)), some garlic crusty bread and salad....bellisssssimo!!

Sorry, dopey (dodgy) question coming up When you say 'Pan' what kind of pan do you mean.. I'm thinking a normal frying pan would be too small to fit in all those ingredients..?

MissMotivated

Well lads made this again yesterday, where I went shopping didn't have balsamic vinegar but I got worchestershire sauce, tobasco sauce, red pepper pesto, used a tin of tomato puree instead of tinned tomatoes (thought I had got passata but didn't so will try that the next time), used garlic, all my usual veg, chilli, basil, coriander and it was delicious!! Can't wait for lunch!!
Thanks again for all the tips

duploelabs

+1 to the nutmeg, and 90% of you will recoil at this but diced lambs liver is really good and adds a depth of flavour

mushroom, red/green pepper, brocolli, mangetout, baby corn.

shouldn't even be near it as well as dolmio sauce

MissMotivated

duploelabs wrote: »

shouldn't even be near it as well as dolmio sauce

Do you mean that I shouldn't be putting mushroom, red/green pepper, brocolli, mangetout, baby corn in my bologneise? But that's why I make if really cos it's a tasty and handy way of getting my veg intake, I'd throw any veg in

carolinespring

MissMotivated wrote: »

I've been making my own bologneise for a few months but lately it tastes like there's something missing.
I use plum tinned tomtatoes, tomatoe puree, chilli, basil, pepper, last night I also added paprika. veg is usually carrot, mushroom, red/green pepper, brocolli, onion, mangetout, baby corn.
I love the Dolmio sauce and a few times I made my own a while ago it tasted exactly like that but I can't remember what I did differently those times! I've been using different types of tinned tomatoes to see if that chnges the taste.
Any ideas?

A pinch of suger and a splash of balsamic vinegar really work plus tons of fresh basic at the end

iora_rua

Just keep an eye on how much salt you're adding overall. Tinned toms sometimes have salt, also stock cubes can be very salty (although there are low salt ones), likewise the black pudding. The pinch of sugar and dash of wine are very important additions I think! Also, sitting the cooked up meal in the fridge overnight really does improve the flavour and gives you time to remember all the things you forgot to add at the start ...

duploelabs

MissMotivated wrote: »

Do you mean that I shouldn't be putting mushroom, red/green pepper, brocolli, mangetout, baby corn in my bologneise? But that's why I make if really cos it's a tasty and handy way of getting my veg intake, I'd throw any veg in

There are nicer ways of getting veg into your diet than that. I love garlic, pineapple, chocolate, and cumin. But I don't throw them all into the same dish together

Nevyn

MissMotivated wrote: »

Do you mean that I shouldn't be putting mushroom, red/green pepper, brocolli, mangetout, baby corn in my bologneise? But that's why I make if really cos it's a tasty and handy way of getting my veg intake, I'd throw any veg in

A 'classic' bolonaise doesn't have that much veg in it but I do the exact same with mine there is easily more shredded veg then meat and it's is one way of getting more veg into the kids.

MissMotivated

duploelabs wrote: »

There are nicer ways of getting veg into your diet than that. I love garlic, pineapple, chocolate, and cumin. But I don't throw them all into the same dish together

Oh I know that but I love this dish and I'm getting my veg in while also eating something delicious so win win I reckon! I want to put loads of veg in. I'm also not great in the kitchen so something like this is perfect for me to make.

Thaedydal my OH hates brocolli with a passion, his mams been trying to get him to eat it for years but he wasn't budging, well he ate it last night!! He knew it was in it but he just said he couldn't actually get he brocolli taste so he didn't mind eating it!

super_furry

I always add a teaspoon of Colmans mustard to my bologneise. Gives it just a tiny kick without ever overpowering the other flavours.

duploelabs

MissMotivated wrote: »

Oh I know that but I love this dish and I'm getting my veg in while also eating something delicious so win win I reckon! I want to put loads of veg in. I'm also not great in the kitchen so something like this is perfect for me to make.

Thaedydal my OH hates brocolli with a passion, his mams been trying to get him to eat it for years but he wasn't budging, well he ate it last night!! He knew it was in it but he just said he couldn't actually get he brocolli taste so he didn't mind eating it!

Well wasn't your initial question wondering what was wrong with your Boll? The veg is what's wrong with your boll. Why don't you make a nice salad with a good dressing to go as a side and that way your can get your veggies in and not compromise with the flavour of your boll?

Poly

teaspoon of nutmeg and a square or two of chocolote.
Got this tip from a mexican book.