Ragù Napoletano
(Ragù guardaporta, Ragù alla Napoletana, Doorman's Ragù, Neapolitan ragù, Ragù della domenica)
Ragù Napoletano is a traditional meat and tomato sauce originating from Naples. In the past, it was prepared by the portinai or doormen who sat while observing the comings and goings of tenants as well as the sounds of the barely simmering dish, hence its other name, ragù guardaporta.
This ragù is cooked very slow and long over very low flames. Unlike the famous ragù alla Bolognese, the Neapolitan version doesn't start with a battuto (carrots, onions, celery), includes huge amounts of tomato sauce, and incorporates whole cuts of meat instead of ground or chopped meat.
The sauce is usually started with an onion soffritto with the addition of a local aromatic herb called piperna for extra flavor and aroma. Regarding the types of meat, there are as many recipes as there are cooks, but most people use beef (especially a cut from the beef chuck called locena), pork (ribs and bone-in chops), or a combination of both. Read more
This ragù should never be simmering, but only forming a small bubble or a few of them on top, called peppiare in the Neapolitan dialect. Due to the lengthy preparation, it's recommended to prepare ragù Napoletano a day or two in advance, and as a bonus, the flavors will even become better, gaining more complexity and depth over time.
The sauce is typically used with various types of pasta, while the rest of the meat is served as a secondo along cime di rapa or friarielli (also known as rapini).
