At the mere mention of the word ragout, our mind already imagines a tasty and rich Sunday dish. Proust syndrome immediately brings us back to the home of our grandparents and immediately we imagine a giant pot with this delicious sauce that "pappulea." Well, ragout is a typical condiment Neapolitan From a very ancient history.

The origins of ragout

The name ragout is derived from the French ragoût meaning "to awaken the appetite," from the verb ragoûter. According to French tradition, this dish was a kind of stew, for which mostly mutton was used and was used to accompany a variety of dishes.

Nowadays, in some countries the term ragoût is used for a stew, which can be either meat or fish, served as a main course or alternatively as a side dish. In Italy, on the other hand has a somewhat different conception; it is understood as the sauce for seasoning pasta. In North Italy However, ragout is used as an accompaniment to the polenta.

The evolution of the term ragout

Initially, to make the term more "Italian" ragoût, the accent was simply removed and thus transformed into. ragout.

What is more curious, however, is the evolution of the word in the Fascist era. In fact, the French term was deemed unsuitable to enter the Italian vocabulary, and therefore the word was coined ragout, forgotten almost immediately and used very little.

The use of the word ragout dates back to the postwar period, so around the 1950s or 1960s, and it also spread thanks to TV, with the aim of making the Italian language.

Variants of ragout

From the moment the Angevins arrived in Naples and the pope was transferred from Avignon at Vatican, ragout began to spread, around 1300 or so. Thus, in the kitchens of the courts the French method of cooking meat was learned, and thus the first variants were born.

Nowadays, with the evolution of cooking, new versions of ragout have also emerged in addition to the classic ones, for example, the fish sauce, or even alternatives vegetarians and vegan, such as soy ragout, tofu, seitan, tempeh or lentils. The classics or at least the best-known versions in Italy of the ragout are two, the one Neapolitan and that bolognese.

The Neapolitan ragout

The Neapolitan version of ragù, or in dialect -'o rrau- involves the use of whole cuts of meat, such as beef biancostato, ribs, pork sausages and chops, stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, pecorino cheese, parsley and garlic. For this variation, all the pieces of meat should be browned inside a saucepan, along with oil and onion, and then tomato puree added.

There are two types of pasta ideal for accompanying Neapolitan ragù: ziti spezzati or rigatoni. But what is the secret to cooking a delicious Neapolitan ragout? Start from the night before. Well, yes, in Neapolitan homes as early as Saturday night the preparation of the ragù begins, since the secret of its taste and the tenderness of the meat is to simmer it for at least 4 hours so that all the flavors are well blended.

In short, the sauce must simmer, or as they would say in Neapolitan pippiare, term onomatopoeic indicating precisely the sound of gravy in the pot, also used by Eduardo De Filippo.

According to Neapolitan tradition, ragù is also an almost symbolic dish that unites families on Sundays. Often times, however, those who cook tend to overdo the portions, so what do you do with all the leftover sauce? Simple, you eat it on Monday! Neapolitans do not waste anything, and that is why on Mondays, during the lunch break, "rimasuglie" are eaten.

Bolognese ragout

The Bolognese version of ragout involves a different cut of meat than the version of Naples.

According to the original recipe, ground beef (e.g., belly, drumstick, folder or shoulder feson) and pork belly are to be used. Cooking, always at slow fire, must be enriched with a vegetable broth of celery, carrots and onion so that the sauce does not become too dry. The whole thing requires cooking for at least two hours.

As for the tomato, it is advisable to add passata, but always in smaller quantities than for the meat. Other types of tomato sauce are to be avoided because otherwise the excessive release of water would compromise the whole taste of the recipe. The addition of a glass of whole milk, as provided by the recipe, will make it even more balanced, going to balance the acidity of the tomato.

Once the meat sauce is prepared, it comes time to choose the pasta. Without a shadow of a doubt, the choice falls on the noodles! In fact, spaghetti bolognese is generally known only abroad, while in Emilia Romagna Noodles are combined with the meat sauce. Care must be taken, however, because if the pasta is dry, it will be necessary to add a little cream to thicken the sauce. Using fresh pasta, on the other hand, will not be necessary. Bolognese sauce can be enjoyed not only with noodles but also to top delicious lasagna, or accompanied with tigelle bolognesi.

The Neapolitan cuzzetiello

The Neapolitan culinary habit of dipping homemade bread in meat sauce while it is still boiling has given rise to the famous cuzzetiello. The latter is not a simple sandwich, but rather one of the ends of pane cafone bread stripped of the inner crumb and enriched with ingredients to taste. The classic version of this dish calls for meat sauce and meatballs, although over time equally delicious variations have sprung up.

Recipes

On a Saturday night in the family, as soon as dinner is over, a question almost immediately arises: what to eat tomorrow? Well, in case you are indecisive about Sunday lunch, we propose the recipes Of the two classic ragout alternatives: Neapolitan and Bolognese.

Neapolitan ragout recipe

For this recipe, depending on the family and one's traditions, different parts of meat are used. We suggest the classic one and also suggest you start the preparation the day before or at least early in the morning. Remember: the longer you cook the meat sauce, the tastier it becomes! Here are the ingredients for about 8 people:

• 700 g of beef biancostato
• 340 g pork sausage
• 500 g rump (or colardella)
• 320 g pork chops
• 1 onion
• About 2 glasses of red wine
• Pine nuts to taste.
• Sultanas to taste.
• Pecorino cheese q.b.
• A sprig of parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 700 g of tomato puree
• 300 g of water
• Salt to taste.

Before you start cooking the meat sauce, start by preparing the chops, then the rump slices and fill them with pine nuts, grapes, pecorino cheese pieces, garlic and parsley, according to the amount you like best.

Immediately afterwards, chop the onion and sauté it in a saucepan (be sure, very large!) along with the oil to brown it over a low flame. After degreasing the meat, therefore pour in the biancostato, sausage, ribs and chops.

Let it cook for about 6-7 minutes, still at slow fire. Once the meats are well browned, add the red wine and raise the flame to let the alcohol evaporate.

Only when it is completely blended can you add the tomato puree, water and a pinch of salt to taste. A little tip: To make the Neapolitan ragout darker and more flavorful, you can dissolve about 300 g of tomato paste in the water to be added.

Now, turn down the heat, and let it simmer about 4 to 6 hours. After these hours have passed, we suggest you taste it, to see if it is salted just right and check that the flavors have blended perfectly!

Bolognese ragout recipe

Unlike Neapolitan ragù, whose ingredients vary according to one's taste and family traditions, the recipe for Bolognese ragù has fixed ingredients. This is because on October 17, 1982, the Bologna Delegation of the Italian Academy of Cuisine filed the recipe at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, we list below the ingredients for 4 people:

• 300 g of ground beef
• 150 g pork belly
• 50 g onion
• 50 g celery
• 50 g yellow carrot
• 300 g of tomato puree
• Half a glass of red wine
• 1 glass of whole milk
• Vegetable broth to taste.
• E.V.O. oil or butter to taste.
• Salt to taste.
• Pepper to taste

Put the bacon in a pan and cook it a little. Then add oil (about 3 tablespoons) or butter (about 50 g) and the chopped carrot, celery and onion and let them wilt.

Then add the ground meat and brown it, then add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Once this step is completed, pour in the tomato puree, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. If needed, add vegetable broth.

At the end of cooking, add the glass of milk to dampen the acidity of the tomato and as a finishing touch add salt and pepper according to your taste.

All that remains is to prepare the pasta! According to tradition, if the pasta is dry, half a cup of liquid cream will be needed. For fresh pasta, however, like egg noodles, it is not necessary.

So what are you waiting for? You just have to try the ragout! While waiting for the long cooking time, here is a poem by Edoardo De Filippo, dedicated to this very dish:

"'O rraù ca me piace a me

m' 'o did it on my momma.

To which I have been spoused to you,

we talked about it for it.

I nun songo difficultuso;

but luvàmmel' 'a miezo st'uso

Mò ce avéssem' appiccecà?

What do you say? Chest'è rraù?

And I m' 'o mmagno per m' 'o mangià....

Will you let me say 'a word?...

This is carne c' a pummarola"