secret ingedients for bolognaise sauce whats yours

with davidt4 being a "purist" fish sauce is not a "traditional" Italian addition LOL

Sugo Alla Bolognese
6 to 8 ounces (150-200 g) ground beef - it shouldn't be too lean, or the sugo will be dry
2 ounces (50 g) pancetta, minced (optional; if you omit it increase the beef)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
A quarter of a medium-sized onion, minced
A half a carrot, minced
A six-inch stalk of celery, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water
Beef broth (If you don't have any, dissolve half a bouillon cube in a cup of boiling water)
A pinch of salt
A pound (500 g) of pasta.

Grated Parmigiano.

Preparation:
If you omit the pancetta you will want the full 8 ounces of meat.

If you are using it, mince it and the vegetables, and sauté them in a casserole or Dutch oven with the oil. When the onion is golden, add the ground meat and continue cooking till it's browned. Stir in the wine and let the sauce simmer till the wine has evaporated, then add the tomatoes, a ladle of broth, and check the seasoning. Continue simmering over a very low flame for about two hours, stirring occasionally, and adding more broth if the sugo looks like it's drying out.

The sugo will improve steadily as it cooks, and if you have the time simmer it longer - Artusi suggests it be simmered for six hours, adding boiling water or broth as necessary. When it is done it should be rich and thick.

This meat sauce will serve about six as the topping for a first course of pasta or gnocchi, or about four if served over pasta with a tossed salad on the side; in either case serve it with grated Parmigiano. In terms of a wine I'd suggest a relatively light red such as a Chianti Colli Fiorentini.

Two Observations:

1. This bolognese recipe expands well, and if you double or triple it, using some and freezing the rest, you will have taken care of several meals.
2. This sauce invites improvisation. For example, you may wish to add a few chopped dried porcini (soak them in boiling water first, and strain and add the liquid as well), or a minced chicken liver to the sauce while it's simmering. Some cooks use the meat from a link sausage instead of pancetta, whereas others omit the pork entirely, using more beef. If you use more pork the sauce will taste sweeter. Artusi suggests that you may want to stir half a cup of whipping cream into it just before you pour it over the pasta.

You've got me there Pam... but the question WAS about "secret ingredients"...

But also, I don't describe myself as a purist, it's other people who do so, and they seem to think it is some kind of insult. Far from it - I am flattered!

Okay, since no-one else has asked yet ... what is "umami"?

It's a taste (like sweet, sour etc. ) A Japanese word, meaning a savoury kind of taste.

That's right. Some of the foods that contain umami are tomatoes (especially when cooked) and parmesan - so it's not as outlandish as it seems to add fish sauce or anchovies to a Bolgnese sauce.

Other umami-rich foods are miso, soy sauce, cooked meats, chicken stock, beef stock, shitaake mushrooms, truffles, and many kinds of fish and seaweeds.

I make 3 versions of bolognaise sauce, all different but all delicious.
The first is probably the kiwi one, 500gms minced beef, onions and garlic, olive oil, oregano and basil, tin of tomatoes, sachet of tomato paste, red wine, but my secret ingredient in that is an anchovy. I also add finely chopped carrot and cook for 3-4 hours.
The second is really simple, as recommended by the Meditteranean Food Warehouse - half each 250gm minced pork and beef (or veal if you can get it) olive oil, garlic and onion, finely chopped carrots, a bottle of passata, red wine and fresh basil. With this one the garlic is sweated in the oil and removed.
The third claims to be traditional and has 225g mince, olive oil and butter, 2 chicken livers, 75g finely chopped unsmoked bacon or ham, finely chopped carrots, celery and mushrooms, 300ml chicken stock, 2 tsp tomato puree or thinned tomato paste (it is not so heavy on the tomato content), white wine, nutmeg, 125gm creamis added after having cooked for an hour and it is simmered until reduced. You use a lot less meat in this one and it is quite different.

spice it up. grab a few cardimon, clove, chilli, etc whole and dried from somewhere like bin inn. Wont cost a fortune , just pop a few of each in a bag. I then put my prefered selections depending on what excites my nose the most on the day, into a small pan or pot with a little water. I use a tiny caste Iron pan. simmer them until the liquid is reduced to very little and drizzle in the spiced water to the desired taste. Makes a devine spiced bog.