Oxtail & Pork Shoulder Ragu Bolognese Linguine with Wild Rocket

Had only prepared this once before, as it took at least 12 hours to prepare, which means that one had to start 1 day prior to having the dish for dinner. As expected, the first time we had this version of bolognese, it was simply a culinary epiphany, not unlike the kanpachi experienced at Daichi, Isa, Japan. Ever since, we had not eaten the dish outside of the house, as we realize most that were available paled in comparison. But recently, we discovered a somewhat similar version at Spruce, rich too, but not as complex as Heston's version. The Spruce version was good still, just different. Based only on her culinary intuition & genius, 5pf was able to replicate the Spruce ragu flavour just by her 'feel.'

Recipe by: Heston Blumenthal, chef-owner of the Fat Duck
Shopping for ingredients: takes about 1-2 hours
Preparing ingredients; measure, cut: 3-4 hours
Sauce base, initial time: 6.5 hours
Tomato compote: 3 hours
Combined sauce, subsequently entails a further: 2.5 hours
Final additions to complete sauce: 10 minutes
Pasta: 20 minutes

Star Anise (Crushed)

LOTS of Red Onions

Coriander Seeds, Cloves & Star Anise (Crushed)

Truss Tomatoes on Vine (cherry & large; use core & vines too)
*Baby Roma Cherry Tomatoes on Vines, highly recommended when available

Tarragon & Italian Parsley Wrapped in Japanese Leek

& A Few Others...

The tomatoes were skinned through blanching in boiling and then ice water baths. Juice was extracted from the umami-rich core membrane and seeds. Roughly chopped & placed on a sieve, some salt was sprinkled over, while a bowl below collected the best juice from the fruit. The vines were soaked with the juice in the bowl. Separately, the tomato flesh was diced.

Star Anise & Onions slices were lightly browned (technically caramelized is only used when sugar is present), after which the former was discarded.
This combination is a flavour-booster for dark meat like beef.

The finely diced Celery, Carrot, Onion, Garlic were cooked in another pot till soft, after which the Onion slices, Spices and Whole Milk were combined with it in a large pot.

Pork Shoulder cubes & minced Oxtail were quickly browned.

So was the remaining parts of the Oxtail. All the meat were then added to the large pot above.

Deglaze the pan with Oaked White Chardonnay (eg, basic label Wolfblass Chardonnay) wine to extract all the flavourful browned (maillard reaction) bits. Reduced to 1/2, then add to the large pot above.

Top up with water, ensure liquid covers throughout the long simmer. Remove the cubes of Pork Shoulder and finely shred, then return to pot. PATIENCE.
6 Hours for this sauce base to be ready before been combined with the tomato part of the sauce.

The Tomato Compote was prepared in another pan, combining the Tomato flesh and juice, more Onions and Garlic, and Fresh Thyme & Bay leaves.

2 Hours later, the tomato compote develops a vibrant hue. Add Olive Oil and stir fry about 10 minutes to add a roasted note. Stir frequently. Strain and retain the golden Tomato Compote Oil, set aside for coating the pasta later.

Once both the sauce base and tomato compote were ready, they were combined in the large pot, left to simmer for another 2 Hours. The tomato compote pan was also deglazed, with the Chardonnay reduced in 1/2 and added to the large pot. This was good for about 4-5 servings.

SAUCE FINALE
Remove herbs, spices and oxtail bones, and stir in Unsalted Butter (best if European-style, with high butterfat content) and the Leek/Tarragon/Italian Parsley. Off the stove, and let the sauce rest for 5 minutes, then remove herbs.

Add Sherry Vinegar, and a touch of Aged Balsamic Vinegar to balance the richness of the sauce.

Finish with a generous fine grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese. Get the real stuff, rather than those labelled 'parmesan' cheese. Better yet, get a slightly aged version - veccio.

PASTA
1/2 Hour prior to the meal, the pasta could be prepared. Use this proportion for every serving: 100g pasta+1000ml water+10g salt. Rinse with cold water once al dente (still a slight 'bite/crunch' left in the middle of the pasta), then coat with Tomato Compote Oil and Unsalted Butter and reheat pasta briefly.

*if fresh past is used, as was the case for our meal, the cooking time is only about 2-3 minutes, a fraction of the time taken for dried pasta.

BON APPETITO!
Plate pasta and ragu bolognese sauce together with the Wild Rocket Leaves. Garnish with more Parmigiano-Reggiano, which also pairs beautifully with the latter.
After about 19 Hours, you'd get the Oxtail & Pork Shoulder Ragu Bolognese Linguine with Wild Rocket. Savour it with Freshly Juice Pineapple (eg, S&W Sweet 16), Granny Smith and Fuji Apple on the side. Bon Appetito!