There is this ragu I make, it consists of minced meat in a tomato sauce with lots of red bell pepper. The ingredients are mirepoix, cubed tomatoes, lots of red bell pepper, garlic, bouquet garni, veal fond, minced meat, water and milk.
There are two ways of making it: adding water and reducing for over 4 hours or just cook it for an hour and be done with it.
Why I would like to know is why there is such a big difference in flavor between both ways. Why does a slow cooked tomato sauce result in such a deeper flavor while the consistency of it and the ingredients are the same.
Finally, is there a chemical reaction like maillard doing something to these ingredients?
