beef ragu pasta

original recipe

ingredients

Ragu: * 1.2kg / 2.5 lb chuck beef or other slow cooking beef cut, cut into equal 4 pieces * 1 tbsp salt * Black pepper * 3 tbsp olive oil, separated * 3 cloves garlic, minced * 1 onion, diced * 1 cup carrots, diced * 1 cup celery, diced * 800g / 28oz crushed canned tomatoes * 3 tbsp tomato paste * 2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled * 1 cup / 250ml red wine, full bodied (like merlot, cabernet sauvignon), or sub with beef broth/stock * 1 ¹⁄₂ cups / 375 ml water * ³⁄₄ tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme * 3 dried bay leaves

instructions

• Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Sear Beef: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 – 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.
• Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
• Soffrito: Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes.
• Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot (including pooled juices). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it’s bubbling very very gently.
• Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred.
• Shred: Remove beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened – beef will soften slightly more during this step.
• Final season: Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. ALSO, add ¹⁄₂ tsp sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste. Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve (it’s even better the next day and freezes well for months!).