Rich Slow Cooked Beef Ragu
fromtheburntbuttertable.comwww.theburntbuttertable.com/slow-cooked-beef-ragu
This rich slow cooked beef ragu is made with tender beef chuck braised in red wine, tomatoes and herbs until fall apart tender. Perfect tossed with your favorite pasta.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 320f (160c).
Pat the beef pieces dry and season well with salt and pepper on all sides.
Heat the olive oil in one or two large frying pans over a medium-high heat and sear the beef well on all sides until deeply golden. Set aside.
Add the bacon to a cold Dutch oven or ovenproof casserole and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the fat has rendered and the bacon is lightly golden.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pot seems dry, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the tomatoes, stock and wine and bring to a simmer. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper.
Return the beef and bacon to the pot and stir to combine. The liquid should just be covering the meat so top up with stock or water if you need to.
Add the bay leaves, optional parmesan rind and place the rosemary sprigs on top.
Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours, checking a piece of beef to see if it pulls apart easily. If not cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until soft.
Discard the rosemary, parmesan rind and bay leaves.
Remove the beef and shred with two forks, removing any large pieces of fat.
Return the shredded beef and any resting juices to the pot. Check for seasoning.
Instructions for pasta
I allow 1 cup of meat per per person and 100 grams of dried pasta per person.
Heat the amount of ragu you plan to use in a large skillet or frying pan while the pasta cooks.
Just before your pasta is ready, add a splash of pasta water and the butter into the ragu and mix.
Add the cooked pasta to the ragu and toss, letting it bubble away very gently together for 1-2 minutes. Tossing, so the meat coats the pasta.
Finish with lots of freshly grated parmesan, some finely chopped Italian parsley and some freshly grated lemon zest.
