Brisket Ragu With Crispy Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• For the brisket ragu: Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot with a lid over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the meat fat-side down and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Carefully flip the meat with tongs and brown on the other side, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, until the tomato paste is dark red and slightly sticky, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, broth and bay leaves and season generously with black pepper.
• Submerge the brisket in the sauce fat-side down; pour in any accumulated juices from the dish. Bring the sauce just to a boil, then cover the pot and immediately transfer to the oven. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the brisket is very tender, 2 to 3 hours.
• Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the brisket to a rimmed baking sheet. Shred the brisket with two forks. Stir the meat back into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead.
• For the gnocchi: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until they are tender when pierced with a fork or the tip of a paring knife, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside until cool enough to handle.
• Remove the skins with a paring knife and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Pass the chunks through a potato ricer (see Cook's Note) onto a clean work surface. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the potatoes and let them cool completely.
• While the potatoes are cooling, pulse the matzo meal in a spice grinder or blender until very finely ground (it should be similar in texture to flour). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Sprinkle 2 cups of the matzo meal over the cooled potatoes. Pour the eggs over the matzo meal and begin to work the mixture together with a fork. Once the mixture begins to clump together, use your hands to gently knead until the ingredients are fully combined, about 2 minutes. Gather the dough into a smooth ball and let rest for about 15 minutes.
• Lightly dust a work surface with a some of the reserved matzo meal. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a 12-inch rope. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the rope into 3/4-inch pieces; place the cut gnocchi on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gnocchi can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead; wrap the baking sheet in plastic and refrigerate.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add about a third of the gnocchi at a time and cook until they begin to float and the water returns to a rapid simmer, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the gnocchi to a platter or individual serving bowls. Ladle ragu over the gnocchi, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325°F. Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add brisket and brown on both sides, about 12 minutes total.
• Cut carrots, celery, and onions into 1-inch pieces, then pulse in 2 batches in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Transfer brisket to a platter. Add 1 tablespoon oil and chopped vegetables to pot, then sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add wine, stock, tomatoes, bay leaves, and 7 whole garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Return brisket with any juices on platter to pot and cover, then transfer to oven. Braise brisket, turning over once per hour, until tender enough to shred with a fork, about 3 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch chunks, then shred with 2 forks. Discard bay leaves from sauce and purée sauce in 2 batches in food processor or a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).
• Mince remaining garlic clove. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic, stirring, 1 minute. Add meat and sauté, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in sauce and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook pappardelle in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, then return to pot and add meat sauce.
• *Available at specialty foods shops. You can also buy Demi-Glace Gold and reconstitute stock using 2 tablespoons concentrate and 2 cups water; available at specialty foods shops and More Than Gourmet (800-860-9385).

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and return to the pan. Add the beef and toss to combine. Divide between serving bowls and top with the pecorino. Sprinkle with pepper and parsley to serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and season the beef all over. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef until dark, about 15 mins, in batches if you need to, using 1 tbsp oil for each batch. Drain the beef in a colander to remove the fat while you cook the rest.
• Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper, then add about 2 tbsp oil, the onions, carrots, celery and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 mins over a low-medium heat. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further 3 mins. Add the wine, herbs, tomatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil, stir the beef back into the sauce and reduce to a simmer. Cover and put in the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, then remove the lid, stir and put back in the oven, uncovered, for 30 mins. Stir or use a fork to roughly shred the beef, and season. Serve now, or chill until serving - it tastes better if made a day ahead.
• When ready to serve, gently reheat the ragout over a medium heat. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water for 3 mins, drain then tip into the ragout, toss together with some of the parmesan and leave for 1 min. Ladle the pasta into bowls, scatter over the remaining parmesan and serve.