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(Some Guy)   A really good ragu is a lot of work, but it's more than worth it   (food.livedogproductions.com) divider line
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    More: Spiffy, Ice, fer, Water, dle, stop, Cordon Bleu class, ing water, extra effort  
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851 clicks; posted to Food » on 13 May 2019 at 5:53 PM (3 years ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



40 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
beezeltown [TotalFark]
2019-05-13 3:34:39 PM  
I wonder what the yield is on this...my typical ragu has about half the meat and quarter of the tomatoes, which is one healthy meal for my family of 3. Looks good, though.
 
Dr.Fey [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2019-05-13 3:37:04 PM  
You have to drive to the store, find a parking space, wipe the basket handles down with the wipe, carry the basket to the aisle, grab the jar, get in what turns out to inevitably be the slowest checkout line, get a chip malfunction on initial attempt to insert card to pay, walk back to the car, drive home, and carry in.

It is a lot of work.

dollargeneral.comView Full Size
 
Marcus Aurelius [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2019-05-13 4:45:23 PM  
Simmer on low for 4 hours?  My stove does that work.  I just stir it occasionally.
 
Marcus Aurelius [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2019-05-13 4:46:33 PM  
I love a good ragu, but this recipe ain't it.  No milk?  No red wine?  Blech!
 
Sensei Can You See [TotalFark]
2019-05-13 5:26:17 PM  

beezeltown: I wonder what the yield is on this...my typical ragu has about half the meat and quarter of the tomatoes, which is one healthy meal for my family of 3. Looks good, though.


It's about three quarts. I've cut the batch in half so I don't have so much left over, but I've also made the full batch and freeze half of it.
 
toraque [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2019-05-13 5:34:02 PM  
The problem with preferring fresh tomatoes over canned is that most tomatoes you get in the grocery store have been bred for shelf-life, not flavor.  They'll stay nice and pretty for a long time, but taste like nothing.

Meanwhile you can get canned San Marzanos that you don't even have to blanch and peel, and still have a better flavor.

/Admittedly, if you have a garden or access to a decent farmer's market you can probably find better tomatoes there, but that's a lot of work.
 
common sense is an oxymoron [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2019-05-13 5:57:27 PM  

Dr.Fey: It is a lot of work.

[dollargeneral.com image 450x450]


To be fair, some of those Let's Make a Deal getups took at least some effort.  But hey, 50 bucks' worth of Ragu.
 
Oneiros [OhFark]
2019-05-13 6:37:02 PM  

beezeltown: I wonder what the yield is on this...my typical ragu has about half the meat and quarter of the tomatoes, which is one healthy meal for my family of 3. Looks good, though.


It's not worth the time.  If you're going to make a ragú, you make a large batch ... then freeze it in the form of lasagne, so you can just thaw it and bake it later.

I don't think my mom ever started with less than 5lbs of meat.
 
The Silver Mullet
2019-05-13 6:48:32 PM  
This is the best ragu I have ever tasted. Took hours, and was worth every bit of effort. Legendary.
 
Bedstead Polisher
2019-05-13 6:52:31 PM  
It's actually really easy to make a good sauce.  The work is in the first 10 minutes of prep then you leave it and make sure you stir and add water when needed. Also, no sugar. If you're using onions and parsley you're adding sweetness and removing the acidity of the tomatoes. Also, the sweetest sauce I ever made was with pork meatballs. God, it was good.
 
Pancoaifo
2019-05-13 7:42:32 PM  

AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


/ Alfredo is absolutely worth the time to make at home because the drop off in quality to what you can buy in a jar is significantly larger


What's essential for a good alfredo? I gave up on store bought years ago and didn't have much better luck making my own.
 
IHadMeAVision
2019-05-13 7:43:31 PM  
Step 0: make marinara (i.e. vegetarian) sauce at some point in the past and freeze it
Step 1: take portion of marinara sauce from the freezer
Step 2: throw it in a sauce pan over low heat
Step 3: cook meat
Step 4: throw meat into sauce, let simmer for however long you please, adding water if necessary
Step 5: season to taste
 
neongoats [TotalFark]
2019-05-13 7:44:01 PM  
Recipe fails without a smidgen of nice olive oil.
 
natazha [BareFark]
2019-05-13 7:47:59 PM  
Sounds good, but I have two Chicago-style pizza pies in the fridge, so I'm covered for the week.
 
itcamefromschenectady
2019-05-13 7:51:40 PM  

Dr.Fey: You have to drive to the store, find a parking space, wipe the basket handles down with the wipe, carry the basket to the aisle, grab the jar, get in what turns out to inevitably be the slowest checkout line, get a chip malfunction on initial attempt to insert card to pay, walk back to the car, drive home, and carry in.

It is a lot of work.

[dollargeneral.com image 450x450]


That's not tomato sauce, THIS is tomato sauce:
target.scene7.comView Full Size
 
itcamefromschenectady
2019-05-13 7:53:38 PM  

IHadMeAVision: Step 0: make marinara (i.e. vegetarian) sauce at some point in the past and freeze it
Step 1: take portion of marinara sauce from the freezer
Step 2: throw it in a sauce pan over low heat
Step 3: cook meat
Step 4: throw meat into sauce, let simmer for however long you please, adding water if necessary
Step 5: season to taste


Pretty much any tomato sauce will taste good if you cook some meatballs in it for an hour or two.
 
ReapTheChaos
2019-05-13 8:04:58 PM  

AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.



So much this!

I used to make my own sauce from scratch, and it was damned good. But the quality and flavor of what you can buy off the shelf has risen so dramatically in the last 10 years, the only people who still bother making their own are those who are too stubborn to admit it's as good as theirs at 1/4 the price.
 
IHadMeAVision
2019-05-13 8:06:44 PM  

neongoats: Recipe fails without a smidgen of nice olive oil.


They say to sauté the veggies, so it's in there by assumption.
 
Ant
2019-05-13 8:10:30 PM  

Pancoaifo: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


/ Alfredo is absolutely worth the time to make at home because the drop off in quality to what you can buy in a jar is significantly larger

What's essential for a good alfredo? I gave up on store bought years ago and didn't have much better luck making my own.


Parmigiana and pasta water
Carla Makes BA's Best Fettuccine Alfredo | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit
Youtube BB6ZCkvg39k
 
Ant
2019-05-13 8:13:18 PM  

Ant: Pancoaifo: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


/ Alfredo is absolutely worth the time to make at home because the drop off in quality to what you can buy in a jar is significantly larger

What's essential for a good alfredo? I gave up on store bought years ago and didn't have much better luck making my own.

Parmigiana and pasta water
[YouTube video: Carla Makes BA's Best Fettuccine Alfredo | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit]


Oh, and butter.
 
IHadMeAVision
2019-05-13 8:16:20 PM  

itcamefromschenectady: Pretty much any tomato sauce will taste good if you cook some meatballs in it for an hour or two.


Good point.

I was just thinking why make meaty sauce from scratch when you can make a shiatton more marinara and freeze it, unless you're hosting or the freezer's full or something.
 
BullBearMS
2019-05-13 8:37:37 PM  
I have totally switched over to a no cook sauce made from canned tomatoes that I make in the blender.   I really like the flavor better than jarred sauces.

Toss into the blender:

2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
A quarter cup of parmigian (the canned stuff)
About an eighth of a cup of jarred banana pepper rings with marinate
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 Teaspoon of basil
1/2 Teaspoon of oregano
1 Teaspoon of garlic powder
1 Teaspoon of salt

Blend when you put on water for pasta so the flavors have a little time to blend.

Done.

If I have time, I'll make up a batch of meatballs and let them simmer with the sauce, but it's fine right out of the blender or with browned beef or Italian sausage.
 
itcamefromschenectady
2019-05-13 8:37:55 PM  

AquaTatanka: Ant: Pancoaifo: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


/ Alfredo is absolutely worth the time to make at home because the drop off in quality to what you can buy in a jar is significantly larger

What's essential for a good alfredo? I gave up on store bought years ago and didn't have much better luck making my own.

Parmigiana and pasta water
[YouTube video: Carla Makes BA's Best Fettuccine Alfredo | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit]

I prefer American style with cream.... like most Americans


Carbonara >>> Alfredo

That said, I prefer it overcooked.
 
Vlad_the_Inaner
2019-05-13 8:50:17 PM  
Half a cup of brown sugar.   Why not 100% americanize it with 4 oz of HFCS?
 
some_beer_drinker
2019-05-13 8:52:04 PM  
i really farked this up the other night. too much meat, not enough sauce. i know better than that.
 
The_Philosopher_King
2019-05-13 8:59:02 PM  
I am going to try this. But I will wait until peak tomato season. I know a couple of good farmer's market.

But I will always make it the way my mom made it. Just for the nostalgia of it. It does start with a jar of Ragu brand sauce. But plain. Add your own meat, sauteed onion and mushrooms and an extra can of tomato paste. Cook together at a simmer for about an hour. It is pretty damn tasty.
 
Oneiros [OhFark]
2019-05-13 9:04:51 PM  

Bedstead Polisher: It's actually really easy to make a good sauce.  The work is in the first 10 minutes of prep then you leave it and make sure you stir and add water when needed. Also, no sugar. If you're using onions and parsley you're adding sweetness and removing the acidity of the tomatoes. Also, the sweetest sauce I ever made was with pork meatballs. God, it was good.


I finely dice up a carrot or two.  If you're going to be giving it a long cook, you could probably just use the large side of a box grater.

But you really have to consider the tomatoes ... some varieties aren't as acidic, and so don't need the extra sweetness in there.

But I still tend to stock up on the Wegman's store brand sauce when it's under $1/jar.  (and I'd personally rate it higher than some of the $5/jar ones out there)
 
SBinRR [OhFark]
2019-05-13 9:42:47 PM  
How about a big ragu?

i.pinimg.comView Full Size
 
hlehmann
2019-05-13 10:10:42 PM  

Marcus Aurelius: I love a good ragu, but this recipe ain't it.  No milk?  No red wine?  Blech!


This!  That article sucks.  If you want a good, rich meat sauce, try this one:
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/the-best-slow-cooked-bolognese-sauce-recipe.html
 
Farnn
2019-05-14 2:34:20 AM  

ReapTheChaos: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


So much this!

I used to make my own sauce from scratch, and it was damned good. But the quality and flavor of what you can buy off the shelf has risen so dramatically in the last 10 years, the only people who still bother making their own are those who are too stubborn to admit it's as good as theirs at 1/4 the price.


What are you buying that's so good and cheap?  With canned tomatoes I can make a batch of sauce for pasta in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta and it costs maybe $2 for the sauce ingredients.  Are you saying there's good sauce that costs $0.50 a jar?  Or are you comparing it to sauce made with fresh tomatoes?  Even then, the ingredients should be less than $10, and I don't think I've seen anything above Ragu level for under$2.50.

And for those who want a slower cooked sauce but don't want to spend hours cooking, the Serious eats article linked above that uses the oven to cook the sauce down is great.
 
J.R. 'Bob' Chinaski
2019-05-14 3:09:56 AM  

toraque: The problem with preferring fresh tomatoes over canned is that most tomatoes you get in the grocery store have been bred for shelf-life, not flavor.  They'll stay nice and pretty for a long time, but taste like nothing.

Meanwhile you can get canned San Marzanos that you don't even have to blanch and peel, and still have a better flavor.

/Admittedly, if you have a garden or access to a decent farmer's market you can probably find better tomatoes there, but that's a lot of work.


If canned tomatoes were good enough for Julia, then damnit they are good enough for the rest of us
 
beezeltown [TotalFark]
2019-05-14 8:48:38 AM  
Ketchup, sketti. Nuff said.
wemeantwell.comView Full Size
 
Ant
2019-05-14 9:13:59 AM  

itcamefromschenectady: AquaTatanka: Ant: Pancoaifo: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


/ Alfredo is absolutely worth the time to make at home because the drop off in quality to what you can buy in a jar is significantly larger

What's essential for a good alfredo? I gave up on store bought years ago and didn't have much better luck making my own.

Parmigiana and pasta water
[YouTube video: Carla Makes BA's Best Fettuccine Alfredo | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit]

I prefer American style with cream.... like most Americans

Carbonara >>> Alfredo

That said, I prefer it overcooked.


Overcooked pasta? No thank you. Pasta texture is everything to me.
 
Slypork
2019-05-14 9:39:32 AM  
My son made a ragu with braised short ribs, ground pork, pancetta and included anchovy paste. Don't know why (something about the saltiness of the fish?) but he had heard about it from some chefs he knew and put it in without telling us. He spent all day simmering it and stirring it, like the brother in Goodfellas. He also made tagliolini to serve it on. The smell from the kitchen was like a perfume. When we finally sat down to eat it was the best damn ragu I have had outside of Italy. In fact our Italian exchange student at the time said it was better than what his mama made, but made us swear that we wouldn't tell her.
 
Ant
2019-05-14 9:57:37 AM  

Slypork: anchovy paste. Don't know why (something about the saltiness of the fish?)


Anchovies add meatiness and umami
 
The Bandit
2019-05-14 10:17:40 AM  

Slypork: My son made a ragu with braised short ribs, ground pork, pancetta and included anchovy paste. Don't know why (something about the saltiness of the fish?) but he had heard about it from some chefs he knew and put it in without telling us. He spent all day simmering it and stirring it, like the brother in Goodfellas. He also made tagliolini to serve it on. The smell from the kitchen was like a perfume. When we finally sat down to eat it was the best damn ragu I have had outside of Italy. In fact our Italian exchange student at the time said it was better than what his mama made, but made us swear that we wouldn't tell her.


Have read quite a bit of putting some soy sauce/fish sauce etc for some salty umami flavour in ragus, but the best advice I ever got was from a full-blown Italian when I was playing snooker on a tour. He said "the secret to the best sauce is water, reduce, water, reduce, water, reduce, and ALWAYS use fresh basil and tomatoes". Straight from the horses' mouth, who am I to disagree lol
 
pdxbarista [TotalFark]
2019-05-14 10:57:00 AM  
If I'm making ragu, it's lamb or pork shoulder, not ground. I have also done beef short ribs. And my calibration might be off since I cook from scratch a lot, but it's not that much work. Chop veggies while the meat is searing, hover near the stove while the wine reduces and then forget about it for a few hours.
 
McGrits [TotalFark]
2019-05-14 10:59:32 AM  

Farnn: ReapTheChaos: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


So much this!

I used to make my own sauce from scratch, and it was damned good. But the quality and flavor of what you can buy off the shelf has risen so dramatically in the last 10 years, the only people who still bother making their own are those who are too stubborn to admit it's as good as theirs at 1/4 the price.

What are you buying that's so good and cheap?  With canned tomatoes I can make a batch of sauce for pasta in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta and it costs maybe $2 for the sauce ingredients.  Are you saying there's good sauce that costs $0.50 a jar?  Or are you comparing it to sauce made with fresh tomatoes?  Even then, the ingredients should be less than $10, and I don't think I've seen anything above Ragu level for under$2.50.

And for those who want a slower cooked sauce but don't want to spend hours cooking, the Serious eats article linked above that uses the oven to cook the sauce down is great.


This^

A can of whole tomatoes, an onion, a garlic clove, a touch of olive oil and some spices/herbs. All in about 20 minutes of time and a jarred stuff can't even begin to compete.

/if a big batch, add some tomato paste to the sauted onions & garlic
 
Smelly Pirate Hooker
2019-05-14 12:57:58 PM  
Marinara has become what wine used to be: something people claim they can taste a difference in between the "crap" and the "good stuff." And like with wine, most people can't tell the difference.

Making your own sauce is not that difficult. Buy it, make it, nobody should care this much, really. Just do whatever you want. I mean, adding pork to most stuff is gonna make it taste better. Because it's pork.
 
itcamefromschenectady
2019-05-14 7:05:59 PM  

Ant: itcamefromschenectady: AquaTatanka: Ant: Pancoaifo: AquaTatanka: No subby, it is not worth it.  For the price of a jar at the grocery store, it's not worth the time it takes to make homemade tomato sauce.


/ Alfredo is absolutely worth the time to make at home because the drop off in quality to what you can buy in a jar is significantly larger

What's essential for a good alfredo? I gave up on store bought years ago and didn't have much better luck making my own.

Parmigiana and pasta water
[YouTube video: Carla Makes BA's Best Fettuccine Alfredo | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit]

I prefer American style with cream.... like most Americans

Carbonara >>> Alfredo

That said, I prefer it overcooked.

Overcooked pasta? No thank you. Pasta texture is everything to me.


Don't be fatuous. I mean the egg mixture should be overcooked a bit. The spaghetti should be al dente.
 
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