Making The Bolognese Sauce

• Optional Ingredient: Prepare the Mushrooms

  Rinse/wash the mushroom off under cold water. Do this quickly, as mushrooms will absorb some water.

  Using a spoon, clean off the spores from underneath the mushrooms. If not, you'll impart a more earthly flavor profile that most will not enjoy. It's almost a dirty flavor. Remove the spores.

  Next, chop the mushrooms into small sizes. We will be sauteing. Cut the mushrooms the same size for even cooking and appearance. No big chunks.

  Option: 

  If preparing the vegetarian version, some large chunks would be a nice touch for additional texture. 

  Be sure to double the number of mushrooms to use that amounts to what you like. I would suggest mixing in a few different types of mushrooms. 

  Idea: Try using some dried mushrooms. Place them into warm water to soften. Be sure to add some of the liquid to add a big flavor. I would suggest tasting the dried mushroom liquid before adding it to make sure you think it will work with the recipe. 
  
• Cooking The Mushrooms

  Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat, then add the mushrooms. But only add half of them at this point.

  Add a small pinch of salt and dried thyme at this time.

  Cook until they have shrunk in size and caramelized, then add the second half and cook them alongside the cooked mushrooms. This ensures the mushrooms get caramelized for maximum flavor. Otherwise, there would be too much mushroom in the skillet and likely just steam.
  
• Preparing The Vegetables

  Set up your food processor close to a cutting board.

  Chop the onion, carrot, celery, jalapeno, serrano, guajillo, habanero, Thai chile, ancho, and bell pepper into a size that helps the food processor do its job. Do not add large chunks to a food processor or risk uneven blending.

  I used half of each pepper, which turned out great,t but not very hot. If you watch the video, you can see how to cut the peppers, i.e., how much is used exactly.

  Add each ingredient one at a time to the food processor until everything is smooth/purred.

  Next, add the "base" to the cooked mushrooms and start reducing the liquid. We want to cook off some of the liquid and tighten the sauce up a bit.
• Simmering Every Ingredient Together

  Now add in the ground beef. Add salt and pepper and cook the meat through.

  Next, add a few tablespoon of tomato paste and stir it in. Then add in the red wine and cook off the alcohol.

  Lastly, I like to add something fresh. I like adding a whole tomato from the can. The canned tomatoes will be soft and have the right texture to add quickly.

  Next, add a few tablespoon of tomato paste and stir it in. Then add in the red wine and cook off the alcohol.

  Lastly, I like to add something fresh. I like adding a whole tomato from the can. The canned tomatoes will be soft and have the right texture to add easily.

  After a few minutes, the red wine has cooked into the bolognese sauce.
• TSA: Taste - Season - Adjust

  Does it need more tomato paste? Salt? Does the color look good? Add in more tomato paste for a deeper color.
• Finishing The Sauce

  Cook for about 15 minutes on low, longer if you want a deeper flavor profile.

  Thirty minutes to an hour is plenty of time to develop the flavor.

  Adding a cream element is still within the classic bolognese sauce technique. Use heavy cream or half-&-half.

  Topping the sauce with a fresh herb like parsley helps round out the over-heaviness of the meat sauce.