Beef Ragu

Main Course
Written By Yolanta Samuels

Serve over polenta, cheesy grits or your favorite pasta. Finish this off with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a generous helping of your favorite grated hard cheese. Serve with the other half of the red wine

Recipe adapted from Minimally Invasive

Ragu.png

  • 30 minute prep time

  • 4 hour cook time. Overnight refrigeration optional (but at least 4 hours encouraged)

  • 8-10 GENEROUS servings

  • Tools

    • Large oven proof dutch oven

    • Immersion blender

    • Veggie Dicer (optional)

    • Cheesecloth/sieve (optional)

The Ragu

  • 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

  • ~5 pounds meat 

    • All boneless beef short ribs (expensive AF) OR

    • Mix it up! Suggestion: 1 pound boneless short rib, 1 pound oxtails, 2.5 pounds chuck roast (less expensive)

  • Kosher salt – to taste

  • Avocado oil 

  • 2-3 medium carrots (diced)

  • 1 whole medium sweet onion (diced)

  • 3-4 celery stalks (diced)

  • Garlic – to taste (recommend around 6-7 cloves at least) (diced)

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon anchovy paste

    • Grocery store typically keep it near the canned tuna

  • 1 tablespoon Rhea "The Deep"

    • Substitution: 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce

  • 375 mL  (1/2 bottle) bold red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon 

  • 32 ounce fire roasted tomatoes (preferably whole)

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • Dried herbs – to taste (recommend dried thyme, white pepper, black pepper, marjoram)

    • 2 teaspoons of each to start. Adjusted as necessary

  • 3-4 bay leaves

  • ~ 2-3 cups chicken, turkey or veggie stock 

  • Directions

    1.     Preheat oven to 350°F

    2.     Rinse dried mushrooms under cold water and then soak in 2 cups boiling water

    3.     Heat avocado oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat

    4.     Season meat with kosher salt. In the dutch oven brown in batches

    a.     Sear each side for ~2-3 minutes

    b.     Set aside cooked meat in a large dish (like a pie dish)

    5.     Pour out all but ~ 1 tablespoon of fat from dutch oven and sautee onion, carrot and celery until soft

    6.     Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes)

    7.     Create an empty space in the middle of the pan and add the tomato, anchovy and “The Deep” paste in the middle. Stir vigorously for a few minutes to caramelize and then incorporate into the vegetables

    8.     Add red wine and deglaze pan

    a.     Cook until reduced by about half

    9.     Add tomatoes (with juice), herbs, mustard and mushrooms with soaking liquid

    a.     Minus ¼ of the mushroom soaking liquid to keep sediment out of dish. Alternately you can run it through a fine sieve with cheesecloth to catch sediment

    10.  Add meat back into pot and add enough stock to cover ribs. Cover tightly and place dutch oven in the oven until meat is fall-apart tender (about 3-4 hours)

    11.  Remove meat from ragu and set aside to cool

    12.  Skim of pools of fat with a ladle

    13.  With an immersion blender, blend the ragu carefully

    14.  Shred cooled meat and return back to ragu

    15.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)

    16.  Next day skim off additional fat

    17. Heat and toss with with your choice of starch and garnish with fresh herbs and cheese

Yolanta Samuels
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