Slow-Simmered Ground Meat Bolognese Sauce

This Bolognese combines browned ground meat with finely diced onion, carrots and celery, then simmers with tomatoes, oregano and a bay leaf. Choose ground beef or a beef-and-pork mixture, and use red wine or beef stock for the liquid option.

Ingredients

• 500g ground beef (or mix of beef and pork)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 800g tinned tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 200ml red wine (or beef stock)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Sea salt & black pepper

Brown the meat and soften the vegetables

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground meat and cook for 8–10 minutes until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, cook the onion, carrots and celery for 8–10 minutes, until soft.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the liquid and simmer

1. Pour in the red wine or beef stock. Let the liquid reduce by half.
2. Add the tinned tomatoes, browned meat, bay leaf and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Simmer over low heat for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cook the meat thoroughly; the initial browning step is followed by this longer simmer.
4. Remove the bay leaf before serving or portioning.

Wine or beef stock?

The recipe allows 200ml of either. Choose beef stock if you do not want to add wine. Reducing wine is a cooking step, not a guarantee that the finished dish contains no alcohol.

Optional milk or cream

For the original richer variation, add 100ml whole milk or cream during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Neither is required for the base recipe, and either adds dairy.

This is not a quick sauce

The 1½–2 hours refers to simmering after browning the meat, softening the vegetables, cooking the tomato paste and reducing the liquid. Chopping and the earlier pan stages take additional time.

Preparing portions for later

Divide leftovers into clean, shallow containers and refrigerate promptly rather than leaving a large pan at room temperature to cool completely. For freezing, use freezer-safe containers or trays and label the portions. Transfer tray portions to a freezer bag once frozen solid.

Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in a pan, stirring until hot throughout. Portion for your intended dish rather than treating a fixed cup measure as a guaranteed serving size.

Ways to serve the Bolognese

• Toss with pasta or layer into lasagna.
• Spoon over polenta or mashed potatoes.
• Serve over baked sweet potatoes.
• Use in stuffed peppers, following the cooking method for the complete dish.

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