Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 brown onions, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 800 g–1 kg (1 lb 12 oz–2 lb 3 oz) beef chuck (braising/casserole) steak, cut into roughly 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes (see note 1 for substitutes)
- ½ cup (125 ml) dry red wine
- ½ cup (125 g) tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- 700 ml (231/2 fl oz) tomato passata
- 2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Pasta, to serve (rigatoni pictured)
- Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a deep heavy-based pan with a lid over medium–high heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until softened.
- Turn the heat to high, add the beef chuck steak and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until the meat is sealed all over.
- Add the red wine, tomato paste, passata, beef stock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for 21/2 hours or until the beef is tender enough to be easily shredded with two forks (see note 1).
- Shred the beef with two forks and serve with your favourite pasta and some grated parmesan.
Notes
Note 1 – If the beef is still tough after 21/2 hours of cooking, it needs to cook for longer. Make sure the sauce is still bubbling very gently (you should be able to see bubbles appearing in the sauce; if not, the heat is too low and the beef will take a lot longer to cook). The beauty of chuck steak is that it is almost impossible to overcook – the longer it cooks, the more it will soften and break down into the sauce. Continue cooking in 30-minute intervals. If the sauce seems to be too thick and sticking to the base of the pan, add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water.
Make ahead
You can refrigerate the ragu for up to 3 days and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the fridge to reheat. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the fridge to reheat. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 mins
- Category: Beef, beef ragu, Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
- Method: slow-cooked
- Cuisine: Italian