Posted on: Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Ragu recipe keeps 'meaty' flavor without using meat
| • | Going meatless |
| • | Cooking on camera a different experience |
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
For my appearance on the "Tasty and Meatless" cable TV show, I wanted to create a dish for which the pressure cooker would be a real help in cutting cooking and preparation time, a dish that featured beans, and one that meat-eaters (or former meat-eaters) would enjoy. I had a hankering for ragu sauce — the classic Bolognese meat sauce made with ground beef, vegetables, wine and seasonings. It's a wonderfully versatile sauce that you can use in lasagna, over pasta or polenta or in other recipes. I thought it would be awesome if I could create a similar hearty flavor without using beef.
My challenge, in substituting beans for the ground beef, was to retain a hearty, "meaty" flavor and I found that the interplay of nutmeg, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar worked well. Another challenge came later, when I learned that wine is not used on the "Tasty and Meatless" set. However, I recalled that flavorful, acidic pomegranate juice is being used in many sauces now. The juice gave just the right layer of sweet-tart flavor to the sauce. (I think you could even use grape juice, though I haven't tried it.)
The technique for making ragu is a process of cooking off liquid and concentrating flavors. Every time you add an ingredient or group of ingredients, you then simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it's almost dry — the water has evaporated, leaving the oils and elements that create a deeper layer of flavor.
Because so few people have pressure cookers, the recipe below is the standard open-pot method. But here's the pressure-cooker technique if you want it: Place dry beans in pressure cooker with 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring to pressure, reduce heat and cook at pressure 20 minutes. Release pressure by quick-release method (place pot under cold running water until pressure is released). Drain beans, reserving water. Place beans, 2 cups of bean cooking water and crushed tomatoes in pressure cooker. Bring to pressure; turn down heat and cook at pressure for 5 minutes. Release pressure by quick-release method. Sauté vegetables as in recipe below and add to pot. Proceed with recipe by open-pot cooking method as below.
In case you're wondering why cook beans from scratch: 1) Canned beans often contain salt, sugar and chemicals to retain color and keep beans firm. 2) They taste better, and the smell is great while they're cooking. 3) You can find more varieties of dried beans, both in stores and on the Internet, than in cans. 4) You can assure that they are at just the right degree of doneness — firm for a bean salad, tender-soft for a creamy bean dip.
This bean ragu is a good weekend cooking project. Plan to use half the sauce in a Sunday night supper and freeze the rest for future use.
Bolognese Bean Ragu
Soak beans overnight. Drain, place in large pot, add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Skim, turn heat down and boil until tender — 60 to 90 minutes. Drain beans, reserving water*.
In large, heavy Dutch oven or other pot, sauté chopped vegetables in olive or macadamia nut oil along with garlic and parsley, until vegetables are just limp and translucent. Add beans. Add crushed tomatoes and bean cooking water and simmer over medium to medium-low heat until the mixture is no longer soupy, but almost dry — 30 to 40 minutes. When you drag a wooden spoon through, its path should not immediately fill up with liquid. Add nutmeg, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper and wine and cook until liquid is reduced away — 10 to 15 minutes. Taste: If flavor isn't as deep as you'd like, add more balsamic and brown sugar.
Add juice or wine and cook until liquid is reduced away — 10 minutes or so.
Add milk and cook until liquid is reduced away — 10 minutes or so.
Serve over hot rice or pasta, with creamy polenta or fried polenta triangles, over steamed or sauteed vegetables or use to fill lasagna or as the filling in a sloppy joe-type sandwich.
*Some believe the first bean water should be discarded because it may contain impurities and because it may promote intestinal discomfort. In place of bean water, use plain water, vegetable broth or beef stock.
Makes 8 servings.
• Per serving: 140 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 4 g protein. If you make this by pressure cooker method, using the additional 1 tablespoon olive oil that helps to keep the beans from foaming and possibly plugging the pressure cooker vent, per serving: 160 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 4 g protein.
