A chef has slammed a common method for cooking bolognese, claiming it’s “horrifying” to witness others using jars of sauce or even fresh tomatoes.
Taking to TikTok, Alex [user @cookslasheat] shared footage of what he deems the correct way to make the popular Italian dish. “Every time I see someone making a Bolognese, I am literally horrified,” he fumed.
“This is a super simple dish – you do no not need a jar of sauce – which by the way is disgusting. And you don’t even need tomato – not from a can, and not from a vine.”
Alex elaborated that Bolognese is not meant to be a tomato sauce at all, but in fact a meat one. Backing that up, he advises: “Grab yourself a soffritto – that’s carrots, celery and onions chopped up finely – then brown your mincemeat (adding it to a pan with the aforementioned ingredients).”
Alex does, however, add a dollop of tomato paste before pouring in a generous serving of red wine. Next, he suggests: “Take your meat out of the pan and cook the veg in the meat juices.” And after stirring in some boiling water, he quipped: “Italians look away – add a little bit of garlic.”
Continuing his tutorial, Alex said once it’s softened, add the meat back in along with around three tablespoons of tomato paste. “When that’s caramelised, deglaze with a cup of red wine, give it a stir and then add just enough water so that you end up with a thick sauce.”
He closed his recipe: “Let it simmer on low for a minimum of an hour and up to three hours, add a splash of milk and pasta water at the end. And if you want something that’s quick for dinner, don’t do something that needs to be slow cooked.
Alex’s method didn’t go down well amongst his followers, however, who said taste was the most important aspect of the meal. ” The right way to make Bolognese is the way that tastes nicest in the eater’s belly,” one declared. “There doesn’t need to be any snobby rules. It’s not a competition. Each to their own way!”
A second added: “The tomato is kind if needed to give the acidity that the milk will work with. Yes, not a tomato sauce, but one half can of tomatoes would elevate it a bit.” Whilst a third slammed: “That’s the absolute worst looking Bolognese I’ve ever seen in my life.”
However, others showed Alex support, including one person who commented: “That’s a good recipe – all the better for not having all the superfluous stuff people add. I add milk to the browned meat and soffritto and cook it off before adding tomato paste but that’s personal preference.”
Culinary website Sporked backs up Alex’s ways, explaining: “Bolognese sauce is a ragù, or meat based, sauce that typically contains ground meat, a soffritto of carrots, celery, and onions, tomatoes or tomato paste, white wine, and milk. There is no bologna in the sauce, but, like the meat, its name is associated with the Italian city of Bologna.”
