The Ultimate Chef-Style Ragu

Slowly render diced pancetta in a pot with olive oil to release its fat and flavor.

Add finely diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sweat the vegetables gently until they are pale, soft, and sweet without any browning.

Grate garlic directly into the soffritto and cook for the final 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Once the soffritto is cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside for later.

In the same hot pot, add the beef mince. Cook on high heat to drive off all the moisture, breaking up the meat with a spoon.

Once the liquid has evaporated, continue cooking to achieve a deep, dark brown caramelization on the meat. This step is crucial for flavor.

Add the diced pork belly to the pot and cook gently to render the fat and add collagen.

Stir in the tomato purée and cook it out until it darkens to a deep red-brown color, which develops its flavor.

Pour in the first portion of milk. Allow it to fully absorb into the meat, which helps to tenderize it.

Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by 50%.

Return the reserved soffritto to the pot and mix everything together.

Add the tomato passata, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Top up the pot with chicken or beef stock until the ingredients are just covered.

Cover the pot and place it in an oven preheated to 120°C (250°F). Cook for 4.5 hours.

After slow cooking, remove the pot from the oven. Discard the Parmesan rind and bay leaves.

Stir in the remaining milk to add a final touch of richness and round out the flavors.

Add a few knobs of cold butter and stir until melted to give the ragu a beautiful gloss.

Serve the ultimate ragu over your favorite pasta or gnocchi, garnished with fresh basil and grated Parmesan.

To make the gastrique, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer until the sugar dissolves. Use a small amount to balance the acidity of the finished ragu if needed.