Slow-cooker Bolognese sauce recipe

Bolognese is the kind of thing the slow-cooker is designed for. Obviously, it's great with spaghetti but it's also a good way of managing to get a lasagna in the oven after work as the meat sauce part is already done when you get in.

Good but, in the words of U2, I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Ingredients for 6:

500g/1 lb beef mince
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
250ml/1 cup red wine
2 beef stock cubes
4 tins (14 oz/400g) chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato puree
salt and pepper to taste
bay leaf

Directions:

Make sure your stock cubes are well crumbled and just hurl everything into your slow-cooker to blob away on High for 6-8 hours. If you will be out for longer than that, I suggest you add another can of tomatoes and increase the sugar slightly. Serve with the usual pasta and salad or proceed to make lasagna with the sauce.

Verdict:

I liked this but I think I've made better Bolognese without a recipe. I thought it had too much wine in it which gave an odd taste. I like wine in recipes but this was probably too much. It may just be that everyone has their idea of what Bolognese should taste like (including every cook in Bologna) and this didn't taste like MY Bolognese. I wanted it to taste meatier. Maybe skipping the browning was a mistake. I suggest if you have a favourite Bolognese that you adapt the proportions in this one to the ingredients in yours. The search for the perfect Bolognese continues...