TOM KERRIDGE

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TOM KERRIDGE

RICHER RAGU

BBC chef and podcast host Tom Kerridge reveals his new way of cooking an old classic for deeper flavour

photographs MIKE ENGLISH

Ilike to think I can turn anyone who has an interest in food from an average cook into a great cook. It’s all about driving flavour, which is more an approach than a way of cooking. You should think about whether you’re getting the maximum flavour out of your dish, and if not, find a way to crank the volume up so it tastes as good as it can. It could be how you cook something, how and when you season the dish, what you season it with, what you serve it with, or in some cases, how little you do to fresh produce.

When it comes to cooking with mince, I’ve always been unsure about frying it for a meat sauce. Getting a deep colour on your meat for flavour is a must – it’s good to roast it to create that depth. But, when I work with mince, simply roasting it until browned seems to fall short. Instead, I roast it until it’s dark and looks like coffee granules. When you first try this and pull the meat out of the oven, you might be concerned – but trust me on this. Make my ragu or a chilli, and you’ll understand what I mean by driving flavour. A simple tweak to a traditional recipe can turn a cheap, everyday ingredient into something special.

Getting deep colour on your meat for flavour is a must – it’s good to roast it to create that depth

Tom Kerridge is a well-known face on the BBC and chef-owner of acclaimed restaurants in Marlow, London and Manchester. Hear more from Tom on his favourite seasonal ideas in the latest series of the BBC Good Food Podcast @ChefTomKerridge

Tom’s beef ragu

The beauty of making a big batch of this sauce it that it freezes so well and can be turned into lots of different meals at a later date (see our ideas, opposite).

SERVES 8 PREP 45 mins COOK 2 hrs 10 mins MORE EFFORT ❄ P

800g good-quality lean beef mince 4 star anise 4 whole cloves 2 tbsp olive oil 200g smoked cubed pancetta or bacon lardons 2 onions, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely grated 300g button mushrooms, thickly sliced 2 tbsp dried oregano 4 bay leaves 1 tbsp golden caster sugar 2 tbsp tomato purée 200ml non-alcoholic red wine 75ml red wine vinegar 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 1 beef stock pot or cube

1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Put the mince in a shallow roasting tin, break it up and put in the oven for 5 mins. Remove the mince and give it a stir, then nestle in the star anise and cloves (tie them up in a piece of muslin cloth first, if you prefer) and roast for another 10 mins. Give it another stir, then roast for another 30-40 mins until deep brown and crispy, stirring and scraping it off the bottom of the pan a few times if needed. Set aside. 2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the pancetta for 8-10 mins until crispy and browned on all sides. Stir in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook for 8-10 mins until the veg has softened. Stir through the mushrooms, oregano and bay leaves, then scatter over the sugar and squeeze in the tomato purée. Stir well, then pour in the nonalcoholic wine and vinegar and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes until reduced by about a third. 3 Tip in the tomatoes, then a can of water. Add the stock pot or cube, give everything another good stir and bring to a simmer again. Scrape in the roasted mince and spice bag, season, then turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for about 1 hr 30 mins until thick and glossy. Taste for seasoning. The sauce will taste even better if left to cool completely and chilled for a day or two before reheating. Serve with pasta and grated parmesan, if you like. Can be chilled for up to three days or frozen for three months – defrost fully before reheating over low to medium heat until piping hot.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 873 kcals • fat 52g • saturates 13g • carbs 60g • sugars 8g • fibre 3g • protein 41g • salt 2.4g

5 MORE IDEAS

 Lasagne Make a white sauce by melting 100g butter in a pan. Stir in 80g flour, then gradually pour in 800ml milk. Layer 12-14 lasagne sheets and half of the ragu (left) in a baking dish, then top with the white sauce and some grated mozzarella and parmesan. Bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling at the edges.

 Cottage pie Crumble another stock cube through half a batch of the ragu, then tip into a dish. Cover with mash, sprinkle with grated cheddar and bake at 210C/190C fan/ gas 7 for 30 mins.

Taco topping Spice the mince with ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika and garlic granules before you roast it for a moreish taco filling.

Mix it up This recipe also works with lamb or venison mince.

Slower or faster Once the sauce is assembled, you can cook it in a pressure cooker on medium for 30 mins or in a slow cooker on low for 8 hrs.