Slow Braised Beef Ragu
The leaves have turned, the temperature is dropping, and rain is in the forecast. That may not sound like cause for celebration but what it means here at our house is it’s time for cold weather cooking and that’s a good thing.
This delicious dish was the perfect dinner for last night. Actually, this recipe for Slow Braised Beef Ragu is really more of a weekend dinner – just because it cooks a long time. There’s not that much to do for prep and then it just simmers, and you can do something else like laundry if you must or reading a good book if you are lucky. Your house will smell divine. I saved time and money by using a cheaper cut of beef – a chuck roast that I trimmed and cut into pieces the night before. The rest was easy – brown the beef in a little oil. Soften the onion, garlic, and carrots and then add the good stuff: tomatoes, herbs, and wine.
And yes, the picture of a tree is a 20-year-old Bay Tree that is living under a grow light in the garage for winter. You have permission to buy your bay leaves (or ask me for one). Let this cook on a slow simmer for a couple of hours until you can shred the beef. The color will deepen as it cooks. It’s great with pasta – A thicker noodle like pappardelle is a good choice. A little parmesan is a nice touch. Here is the best part – unless you are feeding a large crowd there will be leftovers. At our house those leftovers turn into Italian beef sandwiches a day or 2 later – well worth it! This would be a great weekend to give this recipe a spin! Enjoy!
Beef Ragu
(see idea for 2nd day sandwiches in blog)
Ingredients
2- 2 ½ lb. chuck roast, cut in pieces (may be larger because you will shred this)
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup carrots, sliced or shredded – whatever is on hand
1 cup beef broth
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup red wine (or use an extra cup of broth)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
Optional: Add a parmesan rind if you have one available
Directions
Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Salt and pepper beef and brown in oil. (I did this in 2 batches)
Remove beef and sauté onions, garlic and carrots adding more oil if necessary.
Add broth and stir up browned bits in the pan.
Add remaining ingredients including browned beef.
Turn heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 2 – 2 ½ hours stirring occasionally and keeping at a slow simmer.
Remove bay leaf and parmesan rind, shred beef a bit (I do this while still in the pot) and serve with pasta. (remember those leftovers for sandwiches!).
