The Best Ragu You’ll Ever Make

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef mince (50% shin, 50% chuck)
• 400 g pork belly, diced
• 100 g pancetta, diced
• 200 g onion, finely diced
• 150 g carrots, finely diced
• 150 g celery, finely diced
• 1–2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Neutral oil
• 80 g tomato purée
• 400 g passata
• 200 ml red wine
• Whole milk (added in two stages)
• ~500 ml chicken or beef stock
• 1 Parmesan rind
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt, to taste
• Cold butter
• Extra milk
• Gastrique: 100 g balsamic vinegar + 50 g sugar

1. 1On low heat, add olive oil and pancetta to a heavy pot and slowly render the fat.
2. 2Add onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Sweat gently until soft, pale and sweet, no colour.
3. 3Grate in the garlic for the final 1–2 minutes, then remove the soffrito and set aside.
4. 4Return the pot to high heat with a little neutral oil. Add the beef mince, breaking it up and cooking hot to drive off moisture.
5. 5Once dry, lower the heat slightly and caramelise the beef slowly until deeply browned, scraping the fond regularly.
6. 6Add the pork belly and gently warm through — no heavy browning.
7. 7Stir in the tomato purée and cook until it darkens and caramelises.
8. 8Lower the heat and add the first portion of milk. Let it fully absorb into the meat.
9. 9Deglaze with red wine and reduce by about half, scraping the pan clean.
10. 10Return the soffrito to the pot, then add passata, stock, Parmesan rind, bay leaves and a pinch of nutmeg.
11. 11Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook in a low oven at 120°C for 4½ hours, stirring occasionally.
12. 12While cooking, make a gastrique by boiling the vinegar and sugar briefly until lightly thickened.
13. 13Once cooked, remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind.
14. 14Finish with a splash of milk, cold butter for gloss, and the gastrique added gradually to balance acidity. Season to taste.