Beef Ragu
Nov 09, 2024 11:34 AM
My Beef Ragu recipe cooks for hours until the beef is incredibly tender and flavorful. Serve it with pappardelle pasta for a hearty and impressive dinner!
This cozy and satisfying beef ragu recipe is inspired by my late Italian great-grandmother’s family-famous fettuccine. While I should preface this recipe with the fact that this is not her recipe (sadly, I don’t have it), she did teach me what good Italian food should taste like, and this is most definitely it.
My version is rich, thick, hearty, and warm-you-straight-down-to-your-toes satisfying. It is *perfect* cold weather comfort food, and takes only 30 minutes to prep before going in the oven. You’ll love how tender the meat gets after cooking for hours.
If you’re intimidated about cooking a roast–don’t be. We’ll be breaking it down into smaller pieces and searing on the stove for just a few minutes before the oven does the rest. This is a mostly hands-off recipe, and great for preparing in advance! I highly recommend serving with some garlic knots or breadsticks for the full stick-to-your-ribs experience.
Ingredients:
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) chuck roast patted dry and cut into fist-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 2 (154 g) carrots chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
- 2 (112 g) celery stalks chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 (185 g) medium yellow onion diced (about 1 ½ cup)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic about 5-6 cloves
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup (78 ml) red wine vinegar may substitute a dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth may substitute chicken broth or chicken stock
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 28 oz (794 g) crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- 2-3 fresh thyme springs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
For Serving
- 12 oz-1 lb (375-500 g) Pappardelle or preferred pasta for serving
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
180 minutes
Total Time:
210 minutes
Write a comment
No comments