Try this tasty bolognaise recipe of the month by chef Mark Gregory.

Don’t use beef mince for this dish, instead take the time to finely cut the meat by hand, by doing this you will find the texture and flavour will be so much more enticing.

You can use the cooked Bolognaise in a multitude of ways, with papadelle pasta or fill some cannelloni with spinach and pecorino. You could even turn it into a beef and red onion tart, deluxe cottage pie, or tartines.

Ingredients (makes 20 portions)
150ml olive oil
10 sticks celery – peeled and finely chopped
10 med carrots – peeled and finely chopped
3 med onions – peeled and finely chopped
8 garlic cloves – peeled and finely chopped
20 sage leaves – chopped
2.5kg chuck steak – finely diced
1.5kg veal rump – finely diced
450ml puree of tomatoes – tinned sieved are good
500ml white or red wine – whichever is available
1.5L chicken stock

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add vegetables and garlic, sweat and cook without colour, stirring frequently.
2. Add the diced meat and cook for 4 minutes before adding the tomato puree. Cook a further 5 minutes.
3. Now add the wine, turn up the heat and and allow to bubble and reduce wine volume by half. Add the stock and cover with a lid or greaseproof paper.
4. Place in a low oven at 135-140°C for around 3 hours. Check the moisture level every 40 minutes or so and stir well. Add more stock if necessary.

To Finish
Add chopped oregano and parsley just before serving. Once served finely grate lemon zest and some more finely chopped fresh herbs to layer the flavours.

Serve with a pasta of your choice and Parmesan.


With experience in the culinary industry spanning three decades, Mark is a former British Chef of The Year, as well as an author, entrepreneur and owner of Le Chef clothing. He was also New Zealand’s first recipient of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Master of Culinary Arts).

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