Chunky Beef Ragu Recipes

Steps:

• Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large heavy pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and brown the meat in batches until a crust forms, turning to ensure even color on all sides.
• Once one batch is done, set aside in a bowl or plate with a lip, add another fresh tablespoon of olive oil and continue until all the meat is brown.
• Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and let it boil off and reduce until barely any remains in the pan.
• Next, add the browned meat back to the pan, along with the tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste is coating all the ingredients and allow the paste to toast slightly.
• Pour in the tomatoes, stock, and herb bundle and stir, bring to a simmer and cover with a lid.
• Allow to simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, if your pot and lid are oven safe, cook in a 325˚F (170˚C) oven for 3 hours.
• Remove the herb bundle and beef shank.
• Pull the meat from the oxtail. Using a fork or tongs, discarding the bone and any extra cartilage or extra fat. Add the meat back to the ragu and stir.
• Skim off any extra fat from the top of the ragu.
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup (120 ml) of the pasta water before draining.
• Add a few ladlefuls of ragu, the pasta, and a splash of pasta water to a large pot, gently stir to coat the pasta in the ragu.
• Add a handful of cheese and stir to melt into the sauce.
• Garnish with more cheese and fresh parsley before serving.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• In 8-inch nonstick skillet, cook prosciutto over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
• Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix prosciutto and remaining ingredients.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours (or on High heat setting 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes).

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry until it starts to soften, then add the garlic, celery and carrot and cook until soft. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a separate frying pan and fry the mince in batches, scooping each batch out with a slotted spoon and leave any excess oil behind.
• Add the mince to the veg, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min. Stir in the passata and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over a very low heat for 1½-2 hrs, then add the milk and cook for 30 mins. If you're making the base ahead of time, you can leave it to cool at this stage then freeze for up to a month. (Defrost fully before using in the next step.)
• Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions.
• Tip the mince base into a pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 min, then stir through the mascarpone and basil. Serve over the spaghetti and top with parmesan, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole dish and brown the beef all over. Take the beef out of the dish, add the remaining oil and gently cook the onions and garlic for 10 mins until softened.
• Add the browned beef back to the dish with the carrots, red wine, tomatoes, tomato purée and bay leaves. Cover with foil and a lid, and slowly cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hrs or until the meat falls apart. Check on it a couple of times, turning the beef over and giving it a good stir to make sure it's coated in the sauce.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions, then drain. Shred the beef - it should just fall apart when you touch it with a fork - then spoon the beef and tomato sauce over the pasta. Scatter with basil and Parmesan before serving.

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.

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large pan or dish with a lid over a medium-high heat, and fry the meat for 5 mins until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and tip in the veg and pancetta. Cook for 10 mins until the onion has softened. Turn up the heat and cook for 3 more mins or until the pancetta begins to brown. Add the beef back to the pan. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil, cooking until the liquid has reduced by half. Tip in the tomatoes, purée, stock, herbs and sugar. Lower the heat and season to taste. Place a lid on the pan and cook over a low heat on a gentle simmer for 2-2½ hrs until the meat is tender. Once cooked, shred the meat into smaller chunks with two forks and stir everything together. Check again for seasoning.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To make the white sauce, heat the butter in a saucepan until foaming. Stir through the flour and cook for 2 mins. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Return to the heat and simmer for 5 mins until thickened, whisking continuously. Stir through the cheese, nutmeg and season.
• Tip a thin layer of meat sauce into a 25 x 30cm sized dish, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, then a layer of the meat sauce, followed by a drizzle of the white sauce. Repeat until all the pasta and meat sauce have been used, then finish with a layer of pasta sheets topped with a thick layer of white sauce. Sprinkle over the parmesan and mozzarella.
• Bake for 1 hr until golden and bubbling. Check halfway through cooking - if it is already browned, cover with foil. Serve with a punchy, dressed green salad, if you like.

Steps:

• Sear chuck in olive oil on all sides and remove from pan and set aside.
• Leaving oil left in pan add butter.
• Once butter has melted add onions and garlic, cooking until fragrant.
• Add celery and carrots, cooking until tender.
• Add chuck back to pan and add tomato paste stir to incorporate cook for 2 minutes.
• Add wine and stir to incorporate, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and beef stock to pan.
• Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for 3 hours.
• Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs stir in cooked pasta.
• Top with parmesan cheese and serve.