{"id":75,"date":"2010-01-22T04:35:17","date_gmt":"2010-01-22T04:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodiecuisine.com\/wordpress\/?p=75"},"modified":"2013-01-02T23:00:24","modified_gmt":"2013-01-03T05:00:24","slug":"italian-ragu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodiecuisine.com\/wordpress\/italian-cuisine\/italian-ragu\/","title":{"rendered":"Barrons Ragu"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mission<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Mirepoix cooked down in butter and oil<\/p><\/div>\n

One of my favorite dishes is Tagliatelle al Rag\u00f9.\u00a0 The word comes from the French word rag\u00f4ut, which derives from the word to wake up the appetite or to allow more taste.\u00a0 Basically rag\u00f4ut is a stew of meat cooked very slowly to allow it to be edible since it starts out with very tough meats.<\/p>\n

I mention Tagliatelle in here as typically I like to cook my\u00a0Rag\u00f9 with thin strips of fresh pasta which is what Tagliatelle stands for.\u00a0 For this dish I actually deviated from the norm though and made Orecchiette.\u00a0 Orecchiette is pasta, shaped into what looks like an ear.<\/p>\n

Rag\u00f9<\/h3>\n

Rag\u00f9,\u00a0when made properly is nothing like the jars of unsavory sauce you find in the grocery store.\u00a0 What is contained in those jars is no more a \u201ctrue\u201d Rag\u00f9 than the\u00a0t-bone special at a chain breakfast house is a \u201ctrue\u201d steak.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day Rag\u00f9 is taking simple ingredients, with very few spices, and cooking them down for several hours.\u00a0 This cooking process usually takes at least 3 hours and 6 hours is not unheard of.\u00a0 In fact, I cook my Rag\u00f9 for about 6 hours and the one I made before this time cooked for about 10 hours.\u00a0 As long as you follow food safety rules, the longer the better is the general rule for Rag\u00f9.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mirepoix non-diced<\/p><\/div>\n

Mirepoix<\/h3>\n

The first thing that goes into a good Rag\u00f9 is the Mirepoix.\u00a0 Mirepoix is simply finely diced carrots, onions, and celery.\u00a0 In the case of a Rag\u00f9 you take the mirepoix and sautee them together in a mixture of butter and oil.<\/p>\n

Finely dice the carrot, onion, and celery.\u00a0 While you are doing this, heat up your dutch oven\u00a0 on medium-high and put the butter and oil in it.\u00a0 If you take a long time to dice your vegetables you may want to watch the butter and oil to make sure it doesn\u2019t burn.\u00a0 Turn down the temperature until you are ready to add the vegetables if this happens and then turn it back up.<\/p>\n

When you add the vegetables in this is the time to add the salt, pepper, and I like some red pepper flakes to go in the mix as well.\u00a0 This forms the foundation of spice flavor for the dish and eventually will not have to be\u00a0adjusted again once you get the system down.<\/p>\n

Puglia Olive Oil<\/h3>\n

For the extra virgin olive oil I really like the olive oil from the Puglia region of Italy.\u00a0 I\u2019ll talk more about it in another blog post, but needless to say it\u2019s by far my favorite region to buy olive oil from and is what I use in this recipe.\u00a0 I can\u2019t stress enough how important this is since the flavor of your olive oil will carry through to your final dish.\u00a0 It will get hidden the longer you cook your food, or not, but is very noticeable in things like salad dressings.\u00a0 You should always taste the olive oil you plan to cook with before using it.\u00a0 You will be surprised at\u00a0how bad some olive oil really tastes.\u00a0 The price does not equate to flavor either.\u00a0 Some cheap olive oil tastes better than the more expensive oil.\u00a0 For this round I bought my oil from Olio2Go<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Burro di Parma and Puglia Olive Oil<\/p><\/div>\n

Burro di Parma<\/h3>\n

For the butter in the recipe I soley use Burro di Parma, or butter of Parma.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same butter used to make Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and has a wonderful flavor.\u00a0 If you can find it in your area I highly suggest you buy it for your cooking.<\/p>\n

Once again, it\u2019s all about the flavor and the flavor of your butter will carry through to the end of your dish.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t find Burro di Parma I recommend any other unsalted butter.\u00a0 Land\u00a0O\u2019 Lakes makes a nice one.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Staub Dutch Oven<\/p><\/div>\n

Cooking the Mirepoix<\/h3>\n

By this time you should have the Mirepoix added to the simmering butter and oil.\u00a0 You should cook the Mirepoix for about 10 minutes and do so until it\u2019s very tender.\u00a0 Be careful not to burn the vegetables or turn them dark brown.\u00a0 They will get a little brown around the edges but the goal here is tender vegetables, not burned ones.\u00a0 During this process the cooking vegetables should give off a very nice aroma.\u00a0 This is why they call the Mirepoix the aromatics of the dish.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Staub Dutch Oven with melted Burro di Parma<\/p><\/div>\n

I almost forgot to talk about another important part of the dish, the pot you cook it in!\u00a0 I use a Staub Dutch Oven to cook my Rag\u00f9, stews, and anything I braise.\u00a0 This is important as you need a cooking vessel that will not burn the Rag\u00f9 as it cooks slowly and you want something that will retain heat well during the slow cooking process.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s too thin you will never obtain the slow-cook necessary and the wrong material can leave you with a burned Ragu.\u00a0 The Staub dutch oven, and others like it, are great because it is made out of cast iron with a porcelin finish.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rag\u00f9 Meats<\/p><\/div>\n

The Meat<\/h3>\n

For Rag\u00f9 you typically use beef, pork, and lamb.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have quick access to lamb near my house (and buffalo is lower in calories) so I opted to buy ground buffalo instead.\u00a0 Buffalo, or bison as it\u2019s called, is quite common to my area and is readily available at the grocery store.\u00a0 I prefer ground Angus chuck beef to ground round and the ground pork is your typical Jimmy Dean sausage roll.<\/p>\n

I like to buy pancetta that is sliced from the deli at the Fresh Market but didn\u2019t have time to go there.\u00a0 I opted to purchase the pancetta from the local supermarket instead and bought the store brand.\u00a0 Pancetta is just Italian bacon that has not been smoked.\u00a0 When sliced it comes in disc form too which makes it look different than American bacon.\u00a0 I like it because the curing process to make it takes away some of the rubbery texture you find in American bacon.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rag\u00f9 meat in the dutch oven<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rag\u00f9 meat with pancetta<\/p><\/div>\n

Once the Mirepoix is cooked to a very tender state it\u2019s time to add the beef, pork, and the buffalo (or lamb if you are using it.)\u00a0 You are not to add the pancetta yet in this step.\u00a0 Chop the three meats with a wooden spoon and mix them until everything is distributed evenly in the dutch oven.<\/p>\n

I turn my gas stove up to high at this point because you will need to brown the meat in the pot.\u00a0 Your stove may vary but mine requires a high temperature setting.\u00a0 The meat will cook for several minutes in order to obtain a\u00a0nice brown crust.<\/p>\n

Be careful to not stir the meat too soon as it will not brown and you will lose all of the flavor goodness obtained during the browning phase.\u00a0 You also have to be careful as not to burn the meat either though!\u00a0 Once the meat is nice and brown all over you then add the pancetta to the dish and let it cook down until the fat is mostly rendered out.\u00a0 About 10 minutes for this phase should be enough.<\/p>\n

Tomato Paste<\/h3>\n

This is an area of the story where I really don\u2019t have much to say other than it\u2019s time to add the tomato paste to the meat and stir it around until completely incorporated.\u00a0 You need to let it cook for about two minutes here.\u00a0 There is no real brand of paste that I prefer as it all tastes pretty much the same.\u00a0 I happened to have used Contandina<\/a>\u00a0tomato paste\u00a0in this instance.\u00a0 I\u2019ll use it over most other things I find in the grocery store if given the chance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Wine and tomatoes used<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0The Wine<\/h3>\n

Now that the meats are browned and cooked down somewhat it\u2019s time to add the red wine.\u00a0 Personally, I\u2019ve tried five or six different red wines in this process and my favorite by far is the Paul Jaboulet Aine, Parallele 45, Cotes du Rhone.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only $12-$13 US Dollars, which makes it a very inexpensive wine, and works well as a table or party wine as well.\u00a0 I appreciate the taste from it and what you don\u2019t use for cooking you can drink if you so desire!<\/p>\n

I have three to four bottles of it at any given time sitting on my cooking shelf.\u00a0 For this recipe add a cup of the C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne red wine to the dish.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t drink or like alcohol, don\u2019t worry, as all of the alcohol will burn off.\u00a0 Stir the meat and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon.\u00a0 Your goal is to dislodge all of the brown bits of flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan.\u00a0 Keep doing this until the bottom of the dutch oven is nice and smooth.\u00a0 The wine should come up to a boil and be allowed to cook for 5-10 minutes.<\/p>\n

The Tomatoes<\/h3>\n

I like to use tomatoes in my Rag\u00f9 and you may read how it\u2019s not traditional to use many of them.\u00a0 This is true, but you know what, it tastes really good so I do it anyway.\u00a0 The recipe I use calls for two 28 ounce cans of peeled whole tomatoes.\u00a0 I prefer the San Marzano Tomatoes, Whole (Case of 12 - 28oz Cans)<\/a>San Marzano Tomatoes, Whole (Case of 12 - 28oz Cans)<\/a>San Marzano brand<\/a> of canned whole tomatoes that originated in the Naples region of Italy (but this brand is from the USA).\u00a0 They have a really good flavor to them and have never let me down in any recipes I use them in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Vita-Mix Blender<\/p><\/div>\n

Please look now to stage left\u00a0where I am standing on a little soap box.\u00a0 Some people pick political candidates to despise.\u00a0 Others find themselves locked in blatant disregard towards specific religions or causes.\u00a0 Me personally, I despise electric can openers and consider them a bigger waste of space than\u00a0remote controls for lamps.<\/p>\n

They break down, take up too much space, and are pointless.\u00a0 My sure grip can opener never breaks, takes up little space, and I can open a can with it much faster than any electic\u00a0can opener I have used.\u00a0 I hate electric can openers and love human powered ones.\u00a0 There, I said it.\u00a0 I got it off my chest and can continue on.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Vita-mix blended tomatoes<\/p><\/div>\n

Vita-Mix Blender<\/h3>\n

Back to reality now for an electric tool that I do find useful.\u00a0 That tool is my Vita-mix electric blender.\u00a0 The Vita-mix blender is a professional tool that has 2 horsepower of pure blending power.\u00a0 That\u2019s enough HP to shake the kitchen cabinets\u00a0when running at full speed.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also enough to puree vegetables into a wonderfully smooth soup, whole spices into powder, or blend \u00a0anything else your heart desires.\u00a0 It\u2019s super simple to operate and you will find them in almost every restaurant kitchen as a key tool in their arsenal.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been asking for one for Christmas for several years and my family\u00a0 came through this last Christmas with a brand new shiny one!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rag\u00f9 with blended tomatoes<\/p><\/div>\n

After a few seconds in the Vita-Mix the canned tomatoes proved no match and gave in.\u00a0 As a result I had perfectly smooth blended tomatoes ready to be added to the browned meat and tomato paste.<\/p>\n

Go ahead and pour the blended tomatoes into the dutch oven at this time and stir the entire mixture until the tomatoes are nice and incorporated in.\u00a0 Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to very low.\u00a0 I look at the gas burner on my stove and turn it up just enough to stay lit.\u00a0 If you are using gas be very careful though as you don\u2019t want the flame going out!<\/p>\n

Use your oven timer or something else equally loud and annoying and set it to 20 minutes.\u00a0 Every 20 minutes, when the timer goes off, stir the mixture and scrape the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon to make sure nothing burns to the bottom.\u00a0 If you burn the Rag\u00f9 it will ruin the entire dish.<\/p>\n

Simmering, simmering, and more simmering<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>

The Rag\u00f9 reduced after 4 hours<\/p><\/div>\n

At this point you have nothing really to do except stir the Rag\u00f9 every 20 minutes and wait for the entire sauce to reduce to what will become a very tasty item.\u00a0 Once the Rag\u00f9 has reduced down to a sticky mass I like to check the seasoning of the dish to see if<\/p>\n

I need to add more salt, pepper, or red pepper.\u00a0 Sometimes I do, sometimes I don\u2019t.\u00a0\u00a0It is very hard to remove saltiness from a dish once it\u2019s there but you can almost always add it when needed.\u00a0 This is a key point to remember when seasoning Rag\u00f9 and it\u2019s best to salt it more at the very end then at the beginning.<\/p>\n

Serving<\/h3>\n

I made fresh Orecchiette pasta for this dish and will go into detail later on the entire fresh pasta making process.\u00a0 Needless to say, fresh pasta is about ten times better tasting than anything you can find dried or even half-boiled in the store (the so-called fresh pasta in plastic.)\u00a0 I know some people will write that they love dried pasta and can\u2019t tell the difference but I couldn\u2019t disagree with them more.\u00a0 Once you have had good, fresh pasta, it\u2019s impossible to really enjoy anything else.<\/p>\n

For the final preparation of the dish I heat up a bowl, fill it with fresh pasta, top the pasta with a dollop of Rag\u00f9, and then sprinkle grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not usually complimentary of my food (I am my own worst critic) but Rag\u00f9 is so simple to make it\u2019s near impossible to mess up and it tasted\u00a0simply amazing.\u00a0 I suggest you give it a try yourself the next time you have a half a day available for the process.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve fixed\u00a0Rag\u00f9 with fresh pasta for many of my friends at dinner parties and no one has ever had anything but positive remarks about it.\u00a0 Give it a try and let me know how it goes!<\/p>\n

Eating Light Tip<\/h3>\n

You can remove some calories from this dish by using less butter during the steps that call for it.\u00a0 You also could use less meat and replace half of the pork with the buffalo.\u00a0 Replacing the pancetta with one strip of hickory smoked bacon is also viable.\u00a0 And finally, use less pasta with the end result.\u00a0 I\u2019ve made Rag\u00f9 before following these steps and no one could tell the difference in flavor!
\n\n

\n
\n
\n
Print<\/a><\/div>