Eddie’s best slow cooked beef ragu recipe..

In winter, our hearts, minds and stomachs all cry out for a daily warm hug of delicious, full-bodied comfort food. Thick soups (check out my recipe for butternut squash and bacon soup), hearty stews and carb-laden quick fills to heat from within while all outside is chilly.

This next recipe is no quick fill, but it’s worth every minute you put into it: slow cooked beef ragu, with pappardelle pasta. Oh yes.

If you’re looking for a seriously good winter warmer, perfect for family dining or when you have your friends round, this is it. It’s rich, warming and filling and pappardelle pasta is the perfect accompaniment as the beef hugs the wide strips of chewy, satisfying pasta much better than with a spaghetti or penne.

Here’s my recipe for slow cooked beef ragu, with pappardelle pasta

Serves four.

You will need:

A large heavy bottomed pan, with a lid.

1g braising steak, thick cut beef, cut into four equal sized pieces
1 tbsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp light olive oil or sunflower oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion peeled, sliced and finely diced
2 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
3 sticks of celery, washed and finely diced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but I have found it brings out the tomato flavour. If you’re unsure, wait until point 8, taste the sauce and add if you think you need it)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 beef stock cube
250ml rich red wine (I like the Jammy Red, from Aldi, for this, but whatever merlot your supermarket offers works. Buy one you like to drink, of course, to have with your meal!)
375 ml water
½ teaspoon dried thyme, or pull the leaves from 3 springs of fresh thyme if you have it in the garden
500g pappardelle pasta
A chunk of Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to finely grate
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, I usually forget!)

Method

Season your beef with the salt and pepper
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in your pan, getting it really hot
Sear the beef in the hot oil. Be brave, you want it to get really caramelised on the edges. It takes about 3-4 minutes, in total. When it’s done, remove the beef onto a plate and set aside.
Lift the pan off the heat and allow it to cool for a few moments, then add the rest of the oil, reduce the heat to medium and return the pan to the heat. Tip in your onion and gently fry for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic, let this fry for a minute, then stir in the celery and carrots. Turn the heat down a little and gently cook through till everything has softened.
Add the tomato, wine, water, tomato puree, stock cube, sugar and thyme, and warm through, stirring until your stock has dissolved.
Return the beef and any juices to the pan, bring it all to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and add a lid.
Let it cook out for TWO hours. The fragrance will soon fill your kitchen and make you hungry, but this can’t be rushed. Check occasionally to be sure it’s bubbling very slowly – anything too fast will tighten the beef.
Lift out the beef onto a clean plate and shred it with two forks. If it’s not quite ready, pop it back in the pan for 15 minutes. Once the beef is shredded, tip it all back into the pan, stir it through and let it simmer for 30 minutes, lid off, heat up a little to get it bubbling gently. This will thicken up the sauce a little and soften the beef even further.
Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook your pappardelle according to the maker’s instructions.

To serve

When the pasta is cooked, lift it from the pan and lower it directly into the ragu. Gently stir it around, then either tip into a wide bowl and let your guests help themselves, or if you have children, don’t. It can get messy, trust me!

Grate over fresh Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and scatter some fresh chopped parsley on top.

Enjoy!

Eddie – Friday 15th November 2024. (Image of dish).