15 Tips For Making The Perfect Ragu

Ragu can be, and often is, made with fats like lard or butter, and it may be the case that traditional recipes favor using these over liquid oil. But unless you're following a classic recipe to the letter or you're trying to accentuate the creaminess or richness of your dish, you really can't go too wrong with olive oil. Olive oil is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine and has been produced in the country for thousands of years. Nowadays, the olive oil industry is embedded in almost every part of the country and, as such, finds its way into virtually every dish.

Olive oil works especially well in a ragu because while it does have a slightly herbal taste when raw when it's cooked, it gives the meat sauce a relatively neutral base to work from. It's subtle enough that it won't overpower the other flavors in the sauce — and remember, ragu is a food that's composed of some pretty rich flavors anyway, so it's unlikely you'll need the additional help, especially if you're using meat with high-fat content. While it is entirely possible to cook with extra virgin olive oil, you might want to use a less expensive brand to do so and leave the good stuff for things like salad dressings, where you want the flavor to really shine through.

Different ragu recipes will call for different types of meat, from Abruzzo ragu, which uses mutton, to Latium ragu, which may include lamb. Generally, though, the most widely-known ragus will use either beef or a combination of beef and pork, with veal occasionally used too. If you're making a slow-cooked beef ragu, you'll want to make sure you use an appropriate cut of meat that's not too expensive, like shin or chuck. Shin is an excellent option as it's made up of a lot of lean connective tissue, and when cooked low and slow, this softens considerably and becomes tender and luscious. Chuck is similarly constructed and also has a good amount of fat, which again softens when the meat is cooked slowly.

A ragu alla bolognese is slightly different, and while getting a good cut is still vital, getting the right ratio of your different meats is arguably more important. You generally need a 2:1 ratio of beef to pork. The pork will bring a sweetness and cut through the deep, meaty flavors of the beef. Your beef should generally be ground pretty fine, and while you can also use a pack of ground pork, you might want to opt for small cubes of pancetta, which will give the ragu even more of an intense flavor. Ground pork loin or neck can also be used.

Many ragu sauces use wine in their recipes to underline and bolster the flavors of the dish. But usually, these recipes will be pretty sparing on the details of exactly what wine is best. And while you may know whether you need to use red or white, it's helpful to be more specific than that. If you're making a ragu bianco, which can include white wine in its recipe, it's best to go for a dry white, like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Both of these have a relatively subtle flavor that isn't too acidic or sweet and won't flavor your sauce excessively.

For ragus that call for red wine, though, a little boldness can go a long way, and light-bodied wines should be avoided. "If cooking with reds, I avoid Pinot Noir. It is too elegant for the heat of a pan," says chef Raymond Blanc to Decanter. "Instead I reach for something inexpensive, big, spicy and rich." A Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, or a medium-bodied Italian red can work well. Make sure to avoid anything too heavy, as this can make your sauce taste bitter. More than anything, though, you should remember the most important rule: Use a wine that you'd be happy to drink. Its taste won't magically get better just because you're adding it to food. ‌

While we tend to associate the word ragu with a deep-red, tomato-rich sauce, it's notable that a lot of ragus don't contain tomatoes at all. Furthermore, some of the most famous ragus out there, like ragu alla bolognese, tend not to use canned tomatoes in many of their recipes, instead opting for tomato purée or tomato paste. If your recipe calls for purée, it's important to try and use it where possible. These products remove all of the skins and seeds of the tomatoes themselves, leaving you with a far smoother end result, which will stop your ragu from becoming too chunky.

Try and find the best tomato purée and tomato paste possible — even a simple ingredient like this can vary significantly in quality and flavor. If you can, try and find purée made from San Marzano tomatoes. This Italian variety is stringently regulated to ensure the best quality product, and the tomatoes are rich, sweet, and not overly tart. If you can't find any San Marzano tomato purée, you can always make your own. Just pass your tomatoes through a food mill, removing any skin, pulp, or seeds as you do so.

When it comes to ragu, not all salt will have the same effect. The type of salt you use can significantly alter the flavor of a ragu, thanks to the differences in crystal size, according to research published in the Journal of Texture Studies. If you use a finer salt grain, it will dissolve quicker in your ragu; therefore, it tends to produce a sharper, saltier taste. Large grains, conversely, take longer to dissolve and spread their flavor, and so they usually taste milder.

For ragu, it's usually best to use a middle-sized grain like kosher salt. Kosher salt disperses flavor more slowly, and it works particularly well with meats, boosting their taste without making them briny. With kosher salt, it's also far easier to control the level of salt. Because the salt grains are larger, it's easier to add just a little bit at a time. With table salt, it's all too easy to add too big of a pinch and end up tipping the balance of your sauce, so it's too salty. Remember, however, that when making ragu, you may be working with ingredients that are already quite salty, like pancetta. Therefore, hold off on salting the dish until everything's well-cooked and the pancetta has had a chance to disperse flavor. You can then taste it to see how much it needs. ‌

To add milk, or not to add milk: It's the eternal question when it comes to ragu. The answer, thankfully, is a little more flexible than you might think. Some ragu experts swear by adding milk to ragu alla bolognese specifically. It's argued that adding milk towards the end of the cooking process gives your sauce a smoother, creamier consistency, can make the meat softer and more tender, and also helps to temper any particularly acidic flavors.

However, while it's nice to add, it's really not essential. "Milk adds a little richness and it may aid in tenderizing meat but if you're using quality meat, then you don't need it. The quality of the meat you choose will always show," says chef Guy Grossi in the Sydney Morning Herald. Additionally, Accademia Italiana Della Cucina, the leading authority on ragu alla bolognese preparation, points out that milk can be added to the sauce, but it's optional.

Our advice, therefore, is to go for the best meat you can afford, cook the sauce low and slow, and only add milk if you think your sauce will really benefit. If you are going to add milk to your ragu, however, make sure you use whole milk. The higher dairy fat content gives it that creaminess that you want, which low-fat milk just can't replicate. ‌

While you can technically have a bowl of ragu without cheese, in most situations, adding a sprinkling before eating only makes it better. The cheese you choose, though, is important. Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano are by far the best options. These cheeses are similar but differ in the amount of time they're aged and manufacturing processes, with Parmigiano-Reggiano being aged for longer and its production tightly controlled. Both kinds of cheese are hard and have a complex, nutty flavor, with Parmigiano-Reggiano generally being more of a punch to it, thanks to its longer aging process. Both of them pair excellently with the meaty flavors of ragu and have a sharpness that works against the meat very well.

Pecorino cheese can also be used on top of ragu, as can Grana Padano. Both are hard, easily grateable cheeses with strong flavors. Pecorino tends to be sharper, whereas Grana Padano can be somewhat sweeter. Generally, you should always grate your cheese on top of your ragu once it's already served, allowing the heat of the sauce to soften it while you start eating. If you want to impart more flavor to your ragu, though, you can add Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan rinds directly into the sauce as it cooks.

Most people are used to reaching for a bulb of garlic when they start preparing their meal. But when it comes to ragu, adding it might change your dish entirely. Ragu alla bolognese, for example, should never contain garlic or any additional herbs like parsley or rosemary. In the Bolognan style, the main flavor notes come from the meat, wine, soffritto, and, if using it, the milk added at the end. Any other aromatics are a distraction.

A Tuscan ragu, on the other hand, amps up the aromatics and uses a good amount of garlic and rosemary. The latter gives the ragu a slightly floral, woody flavor, with the garlic creating pungency. Ragu made in Basilicata may use parsley to give the sauce a herbal lift, whereas, in Friuli, traditional ragu uses aromatics in abundance, throwing in juniper, bay leaves, cloves, and even horseradish for an extra kick. As these recipes have been road-tested for generations, don't be scared of them. It can be pretty exciting to try a ragu with completely different aromatics to create something potentially unusual yet still delicious.