Am I Reacting to the BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE EVER

[@liamtownsend8703]

@Vincenzo's Plate ... you want the soffritto to caramelize, but you deny the meat the Maillard reaction, which adds another layer of flavor? You brown the meat, which adds some nice aromas to the meat and to the pan, you get the meat out, along the "stock' and use the acid of the onions to dissolve the "browning residue" into the suffritto. Like the red wine later on dissolves the caramalization residue. The "beef stock" adds another layer of taste as it is different from the "vegetable stock" of the soffritto. Moreover toasting the paste is ok, as it also camaralizes and than the wine also dissolves the toasting flavors into the stock. But adding the milk that early on, you are right...

[@ffrostengren]

Exactly!! Browning the meat really well, is essential to the final result! Otherwise you might as well just throw it into the tomato sauce and boil it. Vincenzo, you as a professional chef should know this!

[@orwellianyoutube8978]

I hate any meat that isn't browned enough. I despise grey meat. This also happens when you put a big batch at once, it will boil the meat in its own juices, instead of browning it. I don't understand why Vicenzo doesn't recognise this.

[@felixovezea9456]

Browning everything is everything! Vincenzo is great but I don't agree with his hate for browning.

[@VikingShaver]

@@ffrostengrenVincenzo isn’t a professional chef.

[@filippocappi928]

Italian here, and, most important, I live 15 km from Bologna (guess what bolognese sauce means... or even better bolognese ragu, this is the appropriate word for it) Browning meat?!? never heard of it, it's a MISTAKE, a big no no no, call whatever you want. The process of browning the meat is a delicate and important process in this recipe, and it has to be done properly and at the right time, absolutely NOT before everything. First things first. Everything begins with the soffritto!! Don't do other crazy stuff before. Soffritto is the starter, it's like "at the beginning was the soffritto". Nothing has to be done before it, and the soffritto is SIMPLE as everything in the Italian cuisine. Carrots, onion and celery, and some fat (mostly olive oil), and that’s it. AFTER the soffritto is done (AFTER!!!) you put the meat at LOW heat and you brown the meat WITH the soffritto at low heat stirring the meat to AVOID the roasting flavor. You stir at low heat until the meat is grey. Roasted meat flavor IS NOT part of the recipe. If you like it, do it, but call it “roast meat sauce” or something else, don’t call it Bolognese ragu, please. The meat has not to be roasted at all, it has to be gently cooked, and this is one of the KEY FACTORS of this recipe. After the meat has lost the red color, raise the heat and put red wine… I mean A LOT of red wine, not a little glass, you need the flavor of the wine. The wine is not something you put in to perform sone chemical action, it is a flavor you definitely want, so don’t be cheap with it. AFTER the wine has evaporated, lower the heat and add the tomatoes, and let it cook… like forever! A couple of hours are not enough! Personally, I don’t eat a ragu that has not cooked for at least eight hours. (EIGHT!!!) Can you tell me that you can cook American barbecue in a couple of hours? If you can do it, alright, then you can do Bolognese in the same amount of time. Bolognese needs TIME, and it’s another KEY FACTOR. My grandma used to teach me to NEVER stir the ragu while it was cooking, and this means that the heat must be so low that it doesn’t burn or stick without ever stirring, and the cooking time so long that the flavors are perfectly blended. Rushing the ragu has the same sense of rushing the barbecue: you will end up with a different recipe! AT THE END, if you like it, or if you feel that the flavors are not perfectly blended you CAN add a tiny, tiny quantity of milk to correct some mistake, and let it go for some minute, but keep in mind, it’s a correction, not a requirement. Any other ingredients like herbs, cheese, garlic or roasted meat turn this wonderful recipe into something else, and if you do it, you should find another name for it. Few things are key for this recipe Soffritto first Brown meat gently to AVOID roasting it A lot of red wine Slow and long cooking These are the only key factors. No other crazy stuff. And you will end up with a wonderful sauce without big meat or vegetables chunks, just a wonderful, silky, tasteful ragu that is perfect for your tagliatelle (good job Vincenzo, no spaghetti with Bolognese), better if they are handmade. THIS is what Bolognese ragu is about. Nothing against reinventing things and taking the Bolognese recipe as a base to make something new, I bet you can cook something that you like even more than the good old Bolognese ragu, but this is the point. Bolognese ragu is made with the key principles I listed above, any difference creates a new recipe, and, please, be respectful of our traditions and give it a different name! Nothing wrong if you have a different taste and like your made-up sauce better than Bolognese, but simply be respectful, don’t call it Bolognese. If I cook meat in half an hour with added flavors, I am respectful enough not to call it American barbecue. Please, be respectful and don’t call other recipes “Bolognese” At the end, I’m only a foodie guy that has eaten Bolognese made in bologna for the past 52 years… What can I possibly know about Bolognese? Think about it before roasting me… (and before roasting the meat!)

[@bringer666]

I also brown my meat first and then remove it and add it back afterwards. The reason for this is that it's the only way to truly brown the meat and get the Maillard reaction that makes the meat more flavourful. When you put in the meat raw after your sofrito, it never really browns - it just stews.

[@ApathyBM]

Try it without - you'll find a very different sauce where you can taste the carrots and the celery that's otherwise lost

[@bringer666]

@@ApathyBM I don't understand. I still do the full sofrito, so I don't lose the taste of the carrots and celery. I used to put my meat in and cook it right after the sofrito, but I find that browning the meat separately has more flavor.

[@ApathyBM]

@@bringer666 It has "more" flavor but a different flavor. You don't always have to stack flavor on top of flavor, which is why bolognese doesn't use garlic or herbs either since they will all overpower the more subtle flavors from the base ingredients. But really the main reason is textural, not browning the meat keeps it soft and ultimately the sauce is originally meant for lasagna

[@bringer666]

@@ApathyBM OK, I understand what you are saying but for me I'd rather have the better meat flavor than the softness of the meat. 😀

[@stuart207]

Browning mince is a basic food skill.

[@ebethron_co]

I made a lasagna bolognese using your recipes for Christmas dinner. The family said they had never tasted anything so good! Thanks for helping me bring traditional Italian flavor to a small town in Minnesota!

[@vincenzosplate]

And thank you my friend for following along and trusting in my recipes! Cheers to more delicious dishes in 2025 🥂

[@joakimj4879]

@@vincenzosplate the father no one asked for but we got

[@pangkaji]

With spinach pasta sheets?

[@MrBatteryChanger1]

I was working on house, painting it, a few decades ago, I worked late and the lady who employed me, an Australian woman invited me to eat a spaghetti Bolognese she was cooking. That was 53 years ago and it was the most amazing taste I ever experienced. I have never experienced anything like it ever since, the memory is in the taste.

[@vincenzosplate]

Have you tried following my recipe for the authentic Bolognese? Maybe it will come close to that taste 😊

[@realpoetics]

Did you give her your bolognese afterwards?

[@MrBatteryChanger1]

@@realpoetics hahahaha I was waiting for a comment like that!😄😄 I was 20 and she was in her 40s, so I didn't think about it but I remembered her daughter was to die for.

[@anyadatzaklatszjutub]

kids, remember, hunger is the best spice and boy oh boy do you get hungry when you do some good old fashioned physical labour

[@Serenity_Dee]

You're still wrong about browning the meat beforehand. It's not about making sure the meat cooks through, it's about the Maillard reaction on the meat, adding that lovely dark flavor both to the meat itself and in creating a fond on the bottom of the pot. It's the same reason I roast my sofrito vegetables before I put them in the pot, with a goal of getting some browning and a little bit of char.

[@virgilio1956]

yes, exactly, aka caramelization.

[@Paul.Reid123]

It makes a lot of difference. I had a mate that never browned the meat. To me it made it havexa grainy texture and no where near the flavour. Same as browning the tomato paste. It adds more flavour

[@OysteinSvendsen]

Exactly!

[@thomasmillott8061]

I agree. Vincenzo says it doesn't affect taste. That says something about him, not the food.

[@GoodLifeInSpain]

Totally on point. The Mailard reaction adds significant flavor of both the meat and the soffritto. Adding the meat into the sauce without browning first is simply boiled meat. It's fine, but not the best option.

[@poziomification]

My first and definately not last Vincenzo's video in 2025.

[@goldilox369]

Truth! 😂❤

[@vincenzosplate]

Aw thank you so much for your support my friend! Cheers to a beautiful new year! 🥂

[@hansemannluchter643]

Happy New H5N1 -year to everybody. You know we're in for more of the same-old same-old shite, right? As my doctor told me last time: Eat healthy, homemade, food from fresh produce, and make certain you get enough Vitamin D..

[@GeneralSamov]

I concur!

[@ciripa]

@@vincenzosplate when will you react to Sam the cooking guys bolognese??? :D

[@virgilio1956]

Browning the meat caramelizes the meat surface bringing out complex sugar molecules that adds flavor to the sauce. Which otherwise would not happen if you boiled it from 1 to 500 hours in tomato sauce. Plus you can remove the meat, drain out the excess fat that comes out of the meat.

[@hazridge]

I’m not sure you understand what he said about that. All he said was the soffritto should go in and cook first, then the meat should be added to it to brown. He didn’t say you should cook the meat from raw in the tomato.

[@Davey480]

100% facts

[@MalRome]

I agree. I practically fry the meat, keeping it low, draining the fat, and finally deglaze the fond with the wine. Then, the tomatoes are added.

[@pipedown7969]

@@hazridge I have seen all of his bolognese recipe videos and he does not “brown” the meat. He cooks it until it’s brown technically but he’s not browning it in the sense the original comment is stating(actually searing it). If you were to do that with the sofrito in the pan it would burn the onions. Not saying it’s right or wrong, seems a lot of bolognese recipes don’t go for that true browning

[@virgilio1956]

@@hazridge I am pretty sure I understood what he was saying.

[@Eunegin23]

We - an European-American family - had a 4+ hour Bolognese on the last day of the year. Not only the kids loved it. I kept to the basic authentic recipe. More or less just as David and you did. Why change a winning team. Simple and always works out. No garlic, sofritto first, pork/beef/veal, wine, pasatta, tomato paste, peeled tomatoes, season in moderation during cooking, water over the 4 hours, some milk at the very end. Papardelle. American and British chefs often over-complicate things but sell it well. I love to learn the selling part... Happy New Year and thank you for your teaching! Helped a lot in bringing delicious dishes on our table. Not just recipes but understanding the concept.

[@vincenzosplate]

Messages like yours are my biggest motivation to keep doing what I do! Happy New Year my friend, and stay tined for more delicious recipes in 2025 🥂

[@granitesevan6243]

British chefs? If you mean Ramsay et al, they're either using complex French techniques or just trying something gimmicky (as you said...) Contemporary British cooking is much more similar to the Italian approach: use the best quality ingredients, prepare them with great care, but always keep things simple Note: British cuisine is absolutely first class these days. The bad-old-days are largely behind us

[@Eunegin23]

@@granitesevan6243 Indeed. I meant Ramsay&friends and referred to TV and show cooks - they were trained the French way and add the British touch (peas in Carbonara...). Britain has however become a real food country over the last decades.

[@granitesevan6243]

@@Eunegin23 Thanks for recognising it. So many people still lean into the lazy stereotypes about British food. The austerity of the war years during the early 20th century cast a long shadow on our food culture (every calorie counted and the pleasure of food always came second). Since then, our population has grown and diversified, which has brought new influences and impetus. We also began to look outwards more at our neighbours and dared to think that if they can celebrate their food heritage, then so can we. Not wanting to be negative, but French food has really taken a turn for the worse in the last 20 years. It's still very decent, but relies on the mythology surrounding it too much. They've also allowed American fast food influence to creep in - something they resisted so well for so long. Italy is still about the best place for food. That boot is a perfect little ecosystem. Just isolated enough to preserve its culture, but also open enough to retain its flexibility, which is the reason the food became so great in the first place. Anyway, I'm rambling now... 😂 Cheers!

[@Eunegin23]

@@granitesevan6243 100% on your page. We also don't have the best food-reputation here but it's often about stereotypes as you said. Some might be true but often they aren't (anymore). Viele Grüße aus Berlin.

[@icecreamrollscraze]

This review is so detailed and insightful! It's great to see the traditional techniques of making Bolognese being highlighted while also appreciating the creativity behind the interpretation. Loved how the video breaks down each step with a mix of constructive feedback and passion for authentic cooking. It really shows the importance of respecting the roots of a classic dish.

[@thales30]

browning the meat definetly gives a lot of flavour..

[@Mike_Regan]

And drives off moisture.

[@Niyucuatro]

@@Mike_Regan It's going to simmer for 4 hours anyways. whatever moisture is lost during browning won't make much of a difference.

[@damienx0x]

​@@Mike_Regan You add moisture with tomato paste, wine etc.

[@Mike_Regan]

@damienx0x You shouldn't have to ADD moisture. If you cook the meat right, it will keep it's own moisture. And I want my meat to taste like meat. Not tomato paste or wine.

[@erickpo4044]

​@@Mike_Regan then just eat the meat ,make it to some kind of patty, don't make bolognese

[@VikingShaver]

Dear Vincenzo, browning the meat in a bolognese is definitely adding flavour, from the Maillard reaction, also if using the meat later on in the sauce. What you’re saying is incorrect. It’s like saying you don’t need to brown the pancetta beforehand, because it’s going in the sauce anyway. It’s simply incorrect and not a proper way to cook ground meat. Browning meat will always add flavour no matter what happens later on in the cooking process.

[@OysteinSvendsen]

I like the guy from "not another cooking show" approach to Bolognese: He cooks the minced sofritto first low and slow for 15-20 mins (to evaporate the liquid and intensify the flavour), and then "caramelize" the meat, then caramelize the tomate paste, and then deglaze the whole thing with red wine and reduce. By using those steps you create several layers of maillard reaction/browning and building up layers of flavours. He doesn't use tomatoes, but personally I like to throw in boxed tomatoes after those steps and cook for min 4 hours before adding a little whole milk or heavy cream at the end.

[@Sir_Baddington]

This is the way.

[@dylanefg]

"He doesn't use tomatoes" he is insane.

[@OysteinSvendsen]

@@dylanefg Instead of tomates, he fills in water after the wine reduction and let it simmer for some hours and puts in heavy cream at the end. I see some people do that, they only use tomato paste in the Bolognese sauce and skip the tomatoes, and substitute it with some stock or water instead. Then you get a more "meaty" sauce instead of tomato based sauce, it's a matter of different preference of taste I guess. I like both versions.

[@assassin7754]

Browning meat 100% add's flavour, it's called maillard reaction

[@michaeltucker7129]

By browning the meat you cause it to undergo the Maillard reaction which doesnt occur if you just slow cook the meat. You may not be able to tell the difference, but there is a difference to browning vs. just stewing the meat.

[@mckidney1]

4:05 I agree with Vincenzo. Sofrito is designed to be cooked above 120C. Frying it is great, brazing or pressure cooking is also great. Adding it to overcrowded pen will destroy more than it brings.

[@DesmondDentresti]

Vincenzo being the chef to take the controversial stance of "we should season with less salt" was not on my 2025 bingo card but here we are.

[@vincenzosplate]

😂😂😂

[@tanikokishimoto1604]

I take the stance that most chefs (at least on line) use far too much salt. Vincenzo is a breath of fresh air.

[@sark4786]

not a chef

[@maxkellerii]

You can always add salt at any time if you need it, but you can't take it out if you've overdone it.

[@erickpo4044]

​@@maxkelleriiwhat she meant is you need to salt it to layer the flavor, not to completely done with it from the get go

[@skibidi.G]

Yes waiting 4 the best Bolognese!!! Happy New Year Vincenzo ! 🍝

[@vincenzosplate]

Happy New Year my friend 😂

[@Asgar1205]

me and my friends have been making Bolognese regularly since i saw your recipe and we love it each and every time :)

[@vincenzosplate]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@catfishcave379]

Are you suggesting to caramelize the sofrito? I sauté it until the onions are clear, and then move on to the next step. I must say, doesn’t seem like enough tomato in this recipe. Anyway, happy new year everyone and let’s see where Vincenzo takes us this year!

[@s1lv3rr]

I think you are rignt.

[@amjadm6772]

We all love Vincenzo’s videos. Every time I learn something new. Grazie🙏

[@vincenzosplate]

Thanks for following

[@josiaharaki7310]

I believe the logic of searing the beef first is to 1. Build up fond on the pot 2. harness some additional flavor from the Meyard reaction Unfortunately, the way she crammed the pot prevents a good fond or sear from forming... Generally, I see it done in smaller batches when trying to brown the meat first.

[@TobyVenables]

If you brown the meat - I mean, actually brown it, so the surface of the meat starts to caramelise, like a steak in a pan - then you definitely do add to the flavour.

[@Chambers805]

I'm lazy, I just brown the meat and take it out then brown the veggies on low and add the meat back with the tomatoes, paste, wine and let it ride for hours. 🤤 Might make some this weekend.

[@konstantinos7354]

Garlic in bolognesse. Is it traditional? No. Tastes good? Yes.

[@Eunegin23]

Americans put garlic in EVERY Italian dish. Then you have the same flavor undertone in each and every dish as it's rather dominant.

[@vincenzosplate]

Is it necessary? No 😂

[@realpoetics]

⁠@@Eunegin23 its only dominant if you use too much. If you use it as a balance it doesnt overpower the dish, it enhances it. Korean and Chinese cooking almost always uses garlic and the its definitely not the same flavor undertone in every dish

[@Eunegin23]

@@realpoetics Italian is Italian and not Asian. Ask around in Italy when garlic is used and when it isn't. This doesn't mean that you are not free to put into your food whatever makes you happy.

[@s1lv3rr]

Does it change the flavor of the recipe and make it inaccurate? Absolutely. I really don't understand this all-American mania of throwing garlic into every Italian recipe.

[@debbiedoodah2451]

I brown mince in order to allow me time to break the mince up into fine pieces, I don't like clumps as the sauce can't get to the centre of them. Also, It DOES add flavour if you allow the fat etc to stick and brown on the pan...not to burn. You scrape it off and it adds to flavour.

[@TheRealBeardedFetus]

Browning the meat causes the maillard reaction to occur which is essentially the caramelization of protein, it creates an immense amount of flavor. Browning meat before hand will improve ANY recipe. It has nothing to do with making sure the meat is fully cooked.

[@BillHicks420]

This is true! Wise to brown meat first, remove then do sofritto as normal. Scientifically provides the most amount of flavor due to the amount of flavor molecules created by Maillard.

[@Beafy]

100% and then add wine for the fond on bottom!!

[@lloreaudanie5211]

Browning absolutley adds flavor

[@anyadatzaklatszjutub]

I'm curious if you would be able to pick out the browned vs non-browned in the context of a proper double-blind experiment. In other words, I would bet a lot of money that no, you wouldn't. The Maillard reaction is referenced a lot, because it is one of the few things we actually understand about cooking. There are a million other variables and chemical processes going on. We are nowhere near to understand and model what happens in the humble kitchen. It's all essentially trial and error. Regarding the Maillard reaction, it can also happen in lower temperatures, e.g. a simmering pot, not just when you fry things. It just happens to be slower at lower temperatures -- hence the long cooking time.

[@pipedown7969]

@@anyadatzaklatszjutuba bit of a ridiculous claim… if I gave you a steak that was properly seared(browned) and then one that was boiled, you don’t think you would notice a flavor difference in a blind taste test????

[@CargoPile]

Without commenting on whether it improves the dish or not, if one wants to brown the meat and is using typical US-sourced meat, it needs to be done before the sofrito. There is a lot of water in much of US-sourced meat and you need to steam that off before the sofrito or you won't saute the sofrito, you'll steam it. Pasta Grammar has mentioned this more than once. I should watch the whole thing before commenting. Parmesan rind doesn't melt away completely unless you cut it up into rather small pieces. I learned about rind-in-ragu from Kenji and anything more than probably .5cm dice is still present at the end. I'm usually using 2x2x1cm chunks and they're there at the end of even 6 hours. It is well worth it as the braised rind is AMAZING [bold, underline].

[@TheLegendOfTerry]

If you make a big batch I found this to be true, but with 1kg or less meat you don't need to do it before.

[@gfweis]

Seeing this not long after I had a delicious Bolognese at Pasta di Pulcinella in Atlanta, I now want to try making it myself, even though I am no cook. Grazie!

[@archonblaze]

I tried about 10 different bolognese recipes. The best was Vincenzo’s one with his friend David from Bologna. Truly it is the best. No need to bother with anything else, but I will try this new one you are creating!

[@vincenzosplate]

I’m glad you loved David’s recipe! You can’t go wrong with him, he’s the best!

[@antoninsebera152]

She did not tell she is cooking best traditional bolognese. But just best bolognese in 2024 😂

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

Pretty sure a few million people cooked a better bolognese in 2024.

[@vincenzosplate]

Either way that's not the best Bolognese😂

[@LVMorpheus]

You want to brown the ground beef and get a milliard reaction. Wine is added for flavor and to deglaze the pan. There should be a pork/beef meat base. Pancetra should start the whole process along with the soffrito.

[@Cooker224]

Soffritto is good of base we started using it in beef stroganoff and many other dishes. We use it like salt, pepper, garlic. The flavor is undeniable.

[@williamgane7421]

Yes please. I’ve been at ‘war’ with a couple of Nonnas about Bolognese, quoting Davide’s technique as the only true Bolognese. I made my last Bolognese strictly according to Davide and it was out of this world!! So if you’re telling me there’s a better one out there- I WANT IT!! Love your channel, live your live of Italian cuisine. Keep it going my friend!! 👍🍷👏👏👏👏

[@vincenzosplate]

You’re welcome! And thank you for the support!

[@edwardbak4459]

I learned to make this sauce from a native of the Emilia-Romagna region. First cooking the vegetables, then adding the meat, then a little wine. And then cooking it VERY slowly (covered) for hours, and finally adding just enough passata to hold it together. That seems to be the basic outline for a proper ragù.

[@kochbarth]

Happy new year to all! @Vincenzo: I really like your reactions. Have you thought about not only reacting to recipes, but cooking and therefore tasting them yourself as well? I think this way you could give even better insights.

[@vincenzosplate]

The idea sounds interesting my friend, let's see what I can do, but some of these recipes are really bad and I don't want to put myself in pain 😛

[@jeffng7004]

Another great reaction video Vincenzo. I think she should have seared off the meat, set it aside then make the Saffrito, the add the meat back in to add more flavour to the meat. I also liked when she added the cheese rind to the sauce to give it a smoother texture. All In all l thought it was a good sauce. Again great video Vincenzo. Have yourself a Happy New Year Vincenzo 🍾🥂🎊🎉

[@wasabista1613]

6:20 Chef Vincenzo's look of shock when Lish pours in the milk

[@vincenzosplate]

A little bit of milk is used in the traditional recipe, but not this much😅

[@BP-or2iu]

Because I’m Cajun, and we always brown meat first, and then remove and sautee the veggies in the fat, it’s what I do for bolognese, too. Also, you crisp up the meat this way.

[@theblackhand6485]

After four hours of cooking your crispy meat is no more. Thus you do not have to bake the meat through and through.

[@vincenzosplate]

Thanks for sharing how you prefer to cook Bolognese!

[@BP-or2iu]

@@theblackhand6485 I know . I should have been more clear. Wasn’t talking about cropping the bolognese meat. Just in generally in my cuisine, that’s why we brown it.

[@MarkKatz2772-jg3tc]

I agree with Vincenzo very much for around 4:10 I have tried it out several times myself when I make dishes where I fry up some veggies first and then cook some meat in the same pot/pan; and not just for pasta dishes, I cook that way very often. When frying the veggies FIRST and only AFTERWARDS adding the meat, I find it's really always much better. I have attempted with several types of meat (indeed ground beef, but also for example sausages that I cut into small pieces to fry) and also with just onion as a veggie or indeed the onion + celery + carrot mix (which is such an AWESOME, lovely combination, not just for pasta sauce, but for so many other things) and yeah, cooking it at the same time leads to worse results. It still works of course, it's still edible and fine, but I feel like it takes away something that it otherwise has... It's a bit tricky to say. But yeah, anyway, agreed, and very nice video! :D

[@slothape]

I was taught that the browning of the meat is important for Bolognese.

[@vincenzosplate]

It does bring more flavors to the dish 😊

[@BuckeyeExpat]

Vincenzo - I am a long time fan of yours and my family loves my Bologenese. I love authenic Italian cusine. I respect the traditions and love the flavors of the Italian kitchen. I make it very close to how you do it. But I have a confession... I still add some chicken stock to my sauce (the step after the passata). I believe the chicken stock adds some nice flavor. Please share your thoughts. (I am a home cook). I believe you will not like what I say, but I am still interested if you have tried a traditional Bologenese with and without chicken stock and what is your opinion. Thank you in advance for your comments.

[@farfadetdelimoges]

The hand on the mouth with the jug of milk on the meat 😂 I almost chocked 😂😂

[@katielewis6083]

A cast iron pan is also perfect for making carbonara and similar pastas. Cook the guanicale and then take it from the heat. The residual heat from the pan is the perfect gentle heat for cooking the cream.

[@vincenzosplate]

Thanks for sharing how you cook your carbonara, but here she's cooking a Bolognese my friend

[@katielewis6083]

@vincenzosplate Yes. I was Reacting to you saying that an iron pan is not good for all kinds of sauce

[@60frederick]

You are eating a sandwich… 😂 You must be very hungry. Thank you very much, Vincenzo, for sharing your reaction video with us.

[@theblackhand6485]

Pfff!...you didn’t watch the video: it was pizza! A soft one and not crunchy in the same time.

[@60frederick]

@ - Hello Troll!

[@vincenzosplate]

You don’t miss any details do you 😅

[@patrickguthe7983]

Hi folks, As an addition and explation to @Vincenzo's Plate, I would like to clarify the basic meanings and techniques of the word "Ragout/Ragù". This is a fundamental technique, along with braising. It may seem similar, but there are a few major differenes. A Ragout, or in this case a Ragù, starts with gently caramalizing the root vegetables, so they release juices and do not brown, but instead become glassy. You THEN add the cold uncooked meat to the prepared mirepoix/sofrito on a lower heat to DEGLACE the fond of the gently caramalized vegetables, and, again, repeat the process without browning the meat, but actually create a fond of both on the bottom without browning. THEN you add the wine to deglace the fond again and carefully reduce. Once it is fonded, you, in this case, add a little bit of tomato paste and TOMATOIZE the mixture. At the end you add liquid, here tomatoes, in others different stocks, such as in Ragout Fin to deglace the pan a last time before the gentle braising process beginns and you cook the dish for a long time. The result is very different from regular braised, firstly fried recipes and much more delicate and homogene. He is very right. If you'd have two different spoons to compare, you'd understand the difference. Silky and smooth without the grainy texture of fried/braised Bolognese.

[@KB6YNO]

Yes, definitely do the sauce!

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

I was waiting for Your reaction!! Thanks I knew you would say that about soffritto... But wait until she puts in the wine LOL

[@vincenzosplate]

She made several mistakes 😅

[@ricardomota9704]

Ciao Vincenzo! I’ve been trying to master the bolognese for a few years now. So from my side, no milk at all. As you said, wine and tomatoes coming in too late and sulfrito should be the starting point for the foundation of the dish. I also let it slow cook for around 4/6 hours and then it goes into the fridge the next day. I think eventually it tastes better, specially for lasagna, after at least 2 days. Question for you: I always do my slow cook with lid open and as you said it will eventually require more mixing and liquid. Seen people using the cartouche technique instead of lid or full open. What would you think about the cartouche?

[@pryhosm]

love the channel and love the video. I do love how "rules" don't have to follow any kind of logic. Sofrito needs to be cooked and browned but the meat does not. The Mallard reaction is not important for the meat but appears to be important for vegetables, if veggies can react that way (I don't actually know if it applies to all foods or just meat).

[@sinnlos000000]

all these people hating here have such a limited mindset, we all know that these techniques of roast aroma bla bla bla have a lot of merit but if you think that’s the only technique, you just haven’t learned others. and if you think that this american bolognese tastes better than the authentic italian one which conquered the culinary world, you’re a lunatic. and by all means and fairness, this little lady obviously knows how to cook, but her looks and americanness give a big red flag, great job but it’s a modern cuisine interpretation of a traditional recipe and nothing more than that. Great vid as usual Vincenzo, ciao

[@Thanat0s3166]

Happy New Year Vincenzo! By rendering the fat from the beef, doesn't that render fat give the sofrito a better taste? It would be nice to do a blind taste of the other of what to put in first. You mentioned red wine will tenderize the beef, but I think the acidity from the tomatoes paste will do the same, no?

[@Lyixu]

I’ve started cooking bolognese based on one of your videos three years back and now I am at the point where I can point out her mistakes just as quickly as you do. Watched enough Vincenzo videos 😅 thank you for the great content

[@joshuaciresoli2927]

I greatly appreciate your guidance, Vincenzo, as I never had the opportunity from my Nonna

[@wolfmanbrews4266]

Browning the meat is a must ! Definitely adds flavor .

[@vincenzosplate]

So when do you add the sofrito then?

[@wolfmanbrews4266]

Separately, then bring them together.

[@wilberdebeer4696]

​@@vincenzosplatePersonally I first caramelise the sofrito, put it aside but I keep the oil it was cooked in. Then I brown the meat in that oil, add the sofrito back in, deglaze with wine, cook until it's evaporated and then I continue with your recipe. The only other thing I change is I cook it in a slow cooker for 12 hours.

[@s1lv3rr]

is a must in your opinion, but it is not a procedure foreseen for this preparation.

[@theraweggfiles]

Just because something is not made to YOUR taste or YOUR experience, it doesn't mean it's wrong.

[@dahrrg]

Browning the meat adds flavor if done properly. In this video the meat is just being cooked without adding the flavor of a Maillard reaction. So in this instance it's just a waste of time. Bear in mind that ground meat gets tougher when browned well and will not soften completely even when cooked for hours. If you cook for kids, just throw the meat into the sauce when everything is combined. This way the sauce will be tender which kids prefer.

[@mareksobecki]

PLEASE, PLEASE .. share your ultimate recipe with us !!!

[@vincenzosplate]

It's coming soon my friend, stay tuned

[@ericfeldkamp3788]

Browning the meat matters. Mostly though, you need to do more browning than most people do. I'm currently in Germany and in general, Europe doesn't even brown a burger. Everyone is happy to serve a gray mass on a bun. But you can find a few smash burger places here and there. Miles of difference in flavor. So many other recipes rely on deglazing the brown bits from the bottom of a pan for essential flavor in gravies. There's flavor potential if you develop it.

[@Voulez-Vous-Aha]

This video is why I watch your videos. I learn so much. Thank you from me and my family.

[@vincenzosplate]

This message makes me so happy! Happy New Year my friend, may it be filled with lots of delicious recipes🥂🎄

[@gileslaycock-brown7603]

Can I ask a question Vincenzo? I have an allergy to Celery. While I follow most recipes to classic rules what would you suggest as a replacement to balance out the sofrito base for sauces?

[@vincenzosplate]

Great question. I am sorry to hear you are allergic. To be honest I would just remove the celery and only use carrots and onion. It will be good

[@dylanefg]

Try using fennel fronds like you would thyme. Be super careful though. You can go very quickly from a hint of something to savoury liquorice lol

[@petrayonathan1550]

Last week, it was my birthday on Christmas Day (December 25th), today is New Year in 2025, I hope you enjoy this New Year. Greetings from Indonesia.

[@vincenzosplate]

Greetings fron Australia my friend! And a happy late birthday! 😊

[@jessicakruger7]

I only cook the Bolognese according to David. In my opinion, cooking the veggies first brings out the natural flavors which forms a good base. Salt goes in when you done cooking, the very end. As well as the milk. And if you use a good, quality Passata, you don't really have an acid issue. I'm sticking with David's recipe.

[@vincenzosplate]

Smart choice my friend! Always do the sofrito first and then add the meat

[@jessicakruger7]

@vincenzosplate Absolutely..

[@MikeRees]

Ah this is convenient, I was gonna cook a very different "bolognese" tonight but I think I'll save it for tomorrow and make a day of it now, get it right.

[@Yet_Another_Steve]

I struggled with bland bolognese until I added salt, which brought out all the other flavours. I hadn't been using any to try and be healthier. Plus I soften my sofrito in a separate pan, because I have more than one pan(!), with a little chopped rosemary from the garden. I caramelise my beef/pork mince but might experiment just cooking in the sauce.

[@vincenzosplate]

Seasoning with salt is important to bring out the flavors, however we should be carefull with the amount we use 😊

[@tonydaddario4706]

You could also use soy, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce or just add anchovies or a combination. They all add a good amount of umami + seasoning. I usually reach for the fish sauce in the ragu, works brilliantly.

[@johnwongkimsiong3807]

As a barista, when she said that the milk has to be tragically evaporated, a part of me just died.

[@vincenzosplate]

hahahaha sorry about that

[@TomHoskins-nd5bk]

Are we still waiting for “your best” on this? 😉 I’m fascinated about adding the rind to a dish😸🤤

[@amsterdam8486]

I like to do the browning of every ingredients for the maillard reaction as well so I understand why she wanted to do it with the meat. But I agree, the sofrito needs to caramelise too, loose water, and it takes at least 10 minutes for them while the meat only requires 5 minutes top so it doesnt dry out. So either I would do it the classic way with the sofrito first then adding the meat, or quickly color the meat, remove it, cook the sofrito and then add the meat and the wine not long after. I guess the liter of milk was more used to rehydrate the meat rather than balance the acidity, first time I see this use of milk reduced in a recipe of bolognese. On a side note, usualy the wine takes very few minutes to loose the alcohol especialy if you use a lighter to flame it up, why do it for 20 minutes? Anyway she seems to have the good spirit for pasta recipes, just some techniques I dont understand sometimes, would still love to try her pastas.

[@rickyiii20000408]

I’m in the US and brown my meat so I can drain it before I consume it unless I use a lean meat

[@vincenzosplate]

I don't know why you guys do this, we never do it in Europe

[@Ruoja71]

Vincenzo, what kind of bay leaves do you use? The dried pale ones? If you put more than 2 of those really green ones she's using in the video, the entire dish will taste like coca cola :D They are an extremely potent spice! It's like putting aged cheese onto seafood - it would dominate and kill the taste. All browning your meat does is adding saltiness, so I would restrain from adding salt if I brown my meat. Especially adding salt before tasting the sauce once it's reduced can be dangerous. But if you really care about browning your meat, you should really do it in a pan apart. Especially when using a dutch oven! Because it retains heat for very long time, you need it piping hot for browning the meat, and then you need to wait half an hour for it to cool down, so you can make your soffritto in it at low heat without carmelizing it and loosing all the vegetable sugars you want to keep in the dish. ;) So yeah browning meat is not logical, it's a waste of time and effort, you could just add salt at the end and get the same effect.

[@stephanewantiez164]

I'm following exactly the recipe you made with David, and that's an absolute delight... if you have a better recipe that than (is it possible?), please share! 😋😋😋 I was wondering if I should keep the bolognese ragu a bit dry at the end so I can add some pasta water while mixing, and make it perfect... what do you think?

[@romanf9672]

"As it is written in the Bible: 'One will never find two chefs who make Ragu alla Bolognese the same way'."

[@vincenzosplate]

😂😂😂

[@ronaldmcghghy8896]

Oh how funny I knew the minute she poured the milk and you were going to have heart failure! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@nondisclosure3920]

Was I the only one who was incredulous that both the chef and Vincenzo thought that once the milk cook off stage looked gross

[@vincenzosplate]

I don't understand what you're trying to say😅

[@maxkellerii]

Vincenzo isn't wrong about not needing to brown ground meat. You get almost no malliard on ground meat, there's simply too much liquid released during the "browning" to create any kind of noticeable sear. People just like to throw around the term "malliard reaction" without actually knowing what it is or how to achieve it.

[@pipedown7969]

Just imagine this scenario for a second… you “brown” it until the moisture evaporates then keep going until it actually achieves the reaction 😮 you never had a burger that had a good sear on it?

[@maxkellerii]

@pipedown7969 Big difference between a burger that's seared on the outside and a bunch of broken up ground beef that's so overcooked that all of it is crispy brown.

[@pipedown7969]

@ no not really. It’s the same thing, it’s Maillard reaction. You can get a good amount of it without cooking every bit to a crisp…. Even doing it long enough to create a fond on the pan would make a difference. Fond is the product of Maillard reaction taking place. You are trying to say you can’t even achieve that with ground meat??

[@sea-pineappl3]

@@maxkellerii you just haven't cooked minced meats for long enough, that's all. Try going a little further next time

[@charlesmartel5495]

I‘d like to know Vincenzo‘s opinion on the olive oil vs butter discussion. I’ve read that, traditionally, in Bologna - being in the North of Italy - butter would have been more likely to be used.

[@vincenzosplate]

That's true actually, in the North of Italy butter is usually used

[@charlesmartel5495]

@ thanks, buddy 🙂

[@KarlHertz]

I have tried this recipe (don't knock it 'till you tried it), I left out the parmesan rind (didn't have that much parmesan lying around) and I skipped on the bay leaf. Used a mix of pork and beef, not just beef. Other than that, pretty much to the T (a bit of a caveat here, there are very few measures given on the recipe and I definitively did't use this much salt). Result: A good pasta sauce. My family's reaction: It's a bit sweeter than usual (probably the milk). I know you do not like the garlic. To me, the garlic is an optional thing - I really like adding garlic from time to time to my meat and tomato sauce (let's for simplicity's sake call them "bolgonese adjacent"), but it's something I do only about 30 % of the time. It might not be traditional, but sometimes a couple of cloves of garlic will pull it in good direction to change things up a little bit. We can agree to disagree on this one, though. :)

[@N3ff-mike]

Lish is the best chef on Epicurious. I can't wait to watch. 😊

[@vincenzosplate]

Hope you enjoyed this video 😊

[@jinxycast]

Honestly, every one of your videos makes me want to go make whatever the video is about. Lol.

[@vincenzosplate]

hahah so are you going to cook a Bolognese ragu now?

[@jinxycast]

@vincenzosplate probably Friday or Saturday night, with fresh made pasta as well! I might have to record and post it as "worlds best bolognese," just so you can make a reaction video for it lol

[@minopino3]

When i cook bolognese, i make a big pan, about 5 kilo, and i use 18 grams of salt. And i heat the wine, tomato and the milk before adding to the Meat, Just heat a little, not cooking. It's better for the Meat, and the sauce 😊

[@vincenzosplate]

Thanks for sharing how you prefer to make your Bolognese! It sounds delicious and I'm sure it tastes just as good!

[@vilkoskorlich259]

1, Soffritto ~ The Holy Trinity of Italian Cuisine. A holy trinity in cooking is simply a combination of three aromatic ingredients, whether they are vegetables, herbs or spices, that are gently sauteed together to provide a flavor base for other ingredients to build FOND French word to ESTABLISH. In Italian cuisine, this holy trinity is also called a “soffritto”, “odori”, or “battuto” and usually include onions, celery, and carrots in a 2:1:1 ratio which in france is called mirepoix. About The Official Bolognese Recipe. Bolognese originated from Bologna, the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. What some people don’t realize is that Bolognese is a meat sauce - not a TOMATO-based or tomato sauce. Since Pellegrino Artusi first published his recipe for Ragù alla Bolognese in 1891, there have been very few changes to the original list of simple ingredients: Beef, pork (pancetta or bacon), onions, carrots, celery, milk, broth, a bit of tomato paste, a little wine, salt and pepper. As the official Bolognese recipe below specifies, authentic Bolognese is primarily a meat sauce that contains very little tomato, and there isn’t any garlic, no oregano, no basil, no parsley, no bay leaves, no rosemary, thyme or sage, no anchovies, no fennel or star anise, no lemon zest, no cinnamon or nutmeg, no sugar, no peppers, no chili sauce or hot pepper flakes - none of the myriad ingredients that many people might use in their bolognese recipes today. A good Bolognese sauce also only takes a few hours to make

[@daves7104]

Words and names matter. Good on you Vincenzo

[@vincenzosplate]

😊

[@IanFooteBased2024]

I don't know if everything Vincenzo says is wrong, but, he says that browning meat doesn't add flavor, and he says that alcohol evaporates away. He is wrong about both of these things. I am not going to bother watching the rest of the video.

[@MrJenkins2612]

The Italian is crying in me right now after seeing a squeeze tube tomato pasts in a dutch oven My god......

[@vincenzosplate]

You feel my pain 😢

[@chadc362003]

Vincenzo, I believe you said that you can leave the cover on and not add water. Does the recipe still take 4-5 hours like this and would you say the recipe has more flavor without water?

[@davidmills6203]

reaction videos are the best cooking lessons ever!!!

[@vincenzosplate]

Happy to hear that you enjoy them😊

[@fatdogtavern]

Where's the printable recipe link?

[@vincenzosplate]

In my website www.vincenzosplate.com

[@fatdogtavern]

@@vincenzosplate I'm sorry, but when I search for Bolognese on your website, almost half a dozen recipes come up and nothing new in the last 5 months. Is this the recipe entitled Ancient Bolognese Sauce? Thank you!

[@dazo69]

I still use the recipe and instruction from the video you did with David from Bologna and cook it all day - perfection with a parpadelle

[@vincenzosplate]

Thank you.🤩

[@theblackhand6485]

Pizza is soft but not crunchy in the same time 👻

[@vincenzosplate]

The sides can be crunchy

[@Viktor-HB]

Thank you for the unexpected video. Didn't know, that dinosaur teeth on knives are a thing

[@AlmightyAphrodite]

Wish you would review the bolognese chef Jean Pierre made, he followed the official recipe 😁

[@vincenzosplate]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention 😊

[@lorisgerber]

My take would be to ad the parmigiano instead of milk! The cheese is more suitable if you have lactosis intolerance. And if you cook milk the dish will have a similar taste! Also note that if you have salted the meat in advance it not only will cook instead of frying, because you take out all the water from the meat, but when you ad the cheese you'll bring in another salted ingredient and you end up too salty!

[@s96822]

Vincenzo; who decided "Naples" is the easy to understand name for foreigners vs just "Napoli"? IMO is no more difficult than Naples.

[@vincenzosplate]

I have no idea 😅😂

[@paulthomas8262]

Personally I do the sofrito then the meat (beef+port/veal occationaly also chicken liver), then deglaze with white whine (I don't use red for this dish, if you don't want the drink the rest of the bottle use fortified wine it will keep, and always use something you would be happy to drink ), a little passata not too much, no milk, sometimes I add an anchovy it will melt an won't be fishy, jut add umami. I like it not too wet end but it shouldn't look like dog food. A non standard thing i do which is not "alla bolognese" is to add artichoke pieces in the last 10 minutes, again a ragu variation but still nice. If you have and instant pot you can reduce the cooking time without loosing moisture by partially pressure cooking. It is important that the fibres the mince break down to tender otherwise it tastes wet cardboard with less. Or you can coo the old fashioned way on the hob or in the oven

[@peterlustig7064]

"Pre-cooking the meat enhances the roasted flavor, and it really makes a difference-believe me."

[@CaliGurl56789]

Yes I trust you Chef Vincenzo, please give us your best bolognese

[@vincenzosplate]

Stay tuned my friend, it's coming soon

[@vincenzosplate]

Thank you so much for the love and support

[@andyflachs714]

She can put what ever she wants

[@johncross4642]

I cut my pasta in half... while putting cream in carbonara and pineapple on my pizza, then I put ketchup on the overcooked spaghetti... 😎

[@vincenzosplate]

😂😂😂

[@johncross4642]

@@vincenzosplate 🤭

[@wewlad5643]

One argument for using salt throughout the cooking process is to be able to accurately judge the flavors via taste tests after every step. And if it is appropriately salted in each step, you won't end up with it being too salty if you are only adding more ingredients. Beware reducing or salty ingredients, though! If you trust the recipe and yourself, feel free to just add the salt at the end.

[@Biwul]

An italian sayinh “do not add garlic” now I have officially seen it all 😨😂😂

[@vincenzosplate]

Why is it news to you? In Italy we don't use garlic in everything we cook

[@felixschwab9850]

Yes, Vincenzo, we definitely want to see that Bolognese ragu recipe you mention ;) Concerning her recipe: I think the biggest fail is the garlic. Plus, obviously the fact that she doesn't properly caramelize the soffrito by making it firs. The others points I could chalk up as interpretation (I'd have to try it) and wouldn't be too strikt about them, but those two seem like obvious mistakes to me.