Hearty, rich and delicious ragu sauce with fall-apart beef slow cooked to tender perfection. Serve this rich and meaty Italian ragu over tagliatelle with plenty of grated Parmesan for the ultimate comfort meal.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg (3 pounds) casserole beef such as shin, cut into chunks1.3 kg (3 pounds) casserole beef such as shin, cut into chunks
- 200 g (7oz) cubed pancetta200 g (7oz) cubed pancetta
- 3 tbsp olive oil (for hob version)3 tbsp olive oil (for hob version)
- 2 onions , finely chopped2 onions , finely chopped
- 3 carrots , finely diced3 carrots , finely diced
- 3 celery sticks , finely diced3 celery sticks , finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced3 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper½ tsp ground black pepper
- 140 g (5oz) tomato purée (paste)140 g (5oz) tomato purée (paste)
- 120 ml (½ cup) red wine such as Chianti120 ml (½ cup) red wine such as Chianti
- 2 bay leaves2 bay leaves
- small piece Parmesan rindsmall piece Parmesan rind
- 500 ml (2 cups) hot beef stock increase to 750ml (3 cups) for hob version500 ml (2 cups) hot beef stock increase to 750ml (3 cups) for hob version
- salt and pepper to seasonsalt and pepper to season
Serving Suggestions
- cooked pasta such as Tagliatelle or Pappardelle or choose your favouritecooked pasta such as Tagliatelle or Pappardelle or choose your favourite
- fresh parsley , chopped to servefresh parsley , chopped to serve
- 1 lemon , zest only to garnish1 lemon , zest only to garnish
- grated Parmesan cheese to serve, as much as you likegrated Parmesan cheese to serve, as much as you like
Instructions
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- If your slow cooker allows for searing then cook as instructed below. If it doesn’t you can simply add the ingredients and skip the browning.
- Add the red wine and bring to a simmer, cooking for 5 minutes.
- Top with the beef cubes, add the hot beef stock, bay leaves and cheese rind.
- Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8-10 hours, stirring halfway through.
- Check the beef with a fork – it should be very tender and literally melting into the sauce. Use two forks to shred any large pieces of the beef against the side of the cooker.
- Continue to cook for another hour on HIGH until the ragu thickens.
- Discard the bay leaves and cheese rind, check the seasoning and serve tossed with pasta . Add grated Parmesan, the parsley and lemon zest and enjoy.
Cooking on the hob /oven
- Use 750ml (3 cups) beef stock for this version.
- Preheat the oven to 150C (300F). Heat a large the oil in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven.
- Add the beef, in batches, and sear over high heat until nicely coloured. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl.
- Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until it starts to render the fat and become a bit crispy. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened but not coloured.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and then the wine and bring to a simmer.
- Add the beef, pancetta and stock and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pot tightly, transfer to the oven and cook for 4 hours.
- Take the pot out of the oven and shred the beef using two forks. Return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes, with the lid off if you need to thicken the sauce.
- Discard the bay leaves and cheese rind, check the seasoning and serve tossed with pasta . Add grated Parmesan, the parsley and lemon zest and enjoy.
Instant Pot Ragu
Use 250ml / 1 cup of stock in this version
- For best taste sear the beef and cook the soffritto first (following steps 1-4 of hob method). Otherwise add all the ingredients to your pressure cooker and cook on HIGH pressure for 50 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally. Shred the beef, discard the bay leaves and cheese rind and check the seasoning.
- Cook on Sauté with lid off for 15-20 minutes if the sauce needs to be reduced further.
Notes
How to serve beef ragu
Toss cooked tagliatelle or pappardelle with the ragu so that it coats the pasta. Add fresh parsley, grated lemon zest and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and serve.You can also serve this delicious sauce over mashed potatoes or polenta or as baked potato topping.
STORING AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
It’s worth making a big batch of ragu because it tastes even better as leftovers and freezes beautifully.Keep the sauce in the fridge for up to three days or portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months.Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot, stirring well until it is hot all the way through. You might need to add a little water if the sauce is too thick.
Credit to: supergoldenbakes