{"id":1743,"date":"2026-05-04T08:32:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T08:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/?p=1743"},"modified":"2026-05-04T08:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T08:32:31","slug":"fallows-restaurant-grade-spaghetti-bolognese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/?p=1743","title":{"rendered":"Fallow&#8217;s Restaurant Grade Spaghetti Bolognese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Watching my usual favourite recipe channels on YouTube; I was suggested a video \u201cWhy Restaurant Ragu Tastes So Much Better\u201d.&nbsp; I usually avoid clickbaity type titles, but with Bolognese\/Ragu been one of my favourite dishes I curiously clicked on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a complete eyeopener with new ingredients and techniques that I had to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Racing down to the store next day \u2013 I brought the ingredients that I was missing and cooked it that afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it was going so well \u2013 every key point I was tasting and been blown away on how rich and meaty the ragu was tasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Until adding the \u201cGastrique.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a vinegar and sugar slurry that you add right at the end.&nbsp; I should have trusted my instinct and used just a little touch; but my wife goes, \u201cFollow the recipe and add it all in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gastrique overpowered the dish.&nbsp; It was still tasty; but it was so much better before I added it in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I learnt so much and I will never look at spag bol the same again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Original recipe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-container\"><iframe title=\"Why Restaurant Ragu Tastes So Much Better\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-xT57w8ZS8U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My version<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is my working version that I have modified from the original version.  I will hone in the ingredient and steps on subsequent attempts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bold<\/strong> is something I have added from the original recipe<br><s>Strikethrough<\/s> is something I have changed from the original recipe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ingredients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1 kg beef mince (50% shin, 50% chuck) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>400 g pork belly, diced <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>100 g pancetta, diced <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>200 g onion, finely diced <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>150 g carrots, finely diced <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>150 g celery, finely diced <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>100 g Mushrooms, finely diced<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1\u20132 garlic cloves, finely grated <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extra virgin olive oil <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Neutral oil <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><s>80 g tomato pur\u00e9e<\/s> one can of crushed tomatoes reduced down to a pur\u00e9e<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>400 g passata <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>200 ml red wine <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>150 ml<\/strong> Whole milk (added in two stages) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>~500 ml <s>chicken or<\/s> beef stock <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 Parmesan rind <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 bay leaves <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pinch of nutmeg <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Salt, to taste <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pepper, to taste<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To finish<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cold butter <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extra milk <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gastrique: <s>100 g balsamic vinegar + 50 g sugar<\/s>  50 g balsamic vinegar + 25 g sugar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Method<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On low heat, add olive oil and pancetta to a heavy pot and slowly render the fat.<br><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-1749\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"http:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_1-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add onion, carrot, <strong>mushroom<\/strong> and celery with a pinch of salt.<br><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-1750\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"http:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_2-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sweat gently until soft, pale and sweet, no colour. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Grate in the garlic for the final 1\u20132 minutes, then remove the soffrito and set aside. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Return the pot to high heat with a little neutral oil. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add the beef mince, breaking it up and cooking hot to drive off moisture. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once dry, lower the heat slightly and caramelise the beef slowly until deeply browned, scraping the fond regularly. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add the pork belly and gently warm through \u2014 no heavy browning.<br><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-1751\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"http:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_3-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stir in the tomato pur\u00e9e and cook until it darkens and caramelises. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lower the heat and add the first portion of milk. Let it fully absorb into the meat. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deglaze with red wine and reduce by about half, scraping the pan clean. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Return the soffrito to the pot, then add passata, stock, Parmesan rind, bay leaves and a pinch of nutmeg. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook in a low oven at 120\u00b0C for 4\u00bd hours, stirring occasionally.<br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-1752\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"http:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cook_ragu_4-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While cooking, make a gastrique by boiling the vinegar and sugar briefly until lightly thickened. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once cooked, remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finish with a splash of milk, cold butter for gloss, and the gastrique added gradually to balance acidity. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Season to taste.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watching my usual favourite recipe channels on YouTube; I was suggested a video \u201cWhy Restaurant Ragu Tastes So Much Better\u201d.&nbsp; I usually avoid clickbaity type titles,&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[42,86,106,34],"class_list":["post-1743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ccok","tag-cook","tag-pasta","tag-ragu","tag-slow-cooker"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1743"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1754,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743\/revisions\/1754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craftcookcode.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}