Slow-cooked Beef Ragu is an economical but delicious meal, made with simple, economical ingredients. Just 10 minutes of prep, then let the stove do the rest of the work!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs45 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs55 minutesmins
Ingredients
2tbspextra-virgin olive oil
2brown onions, finely diced
2large carrots, finely diced
2celery stalks, finely diced
2garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1kgbeef chuck (braising/casserole) steak, cut into roughly 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes (see note 1 for substitutes)
125mldry red wine
125gtomato paste
700mltomato passata
500mlbeef stock
1tspsea salt flakes
½tspfreshly cracked black pepper
1tspdried thyme
2bay 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 2½ 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 2½ 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 ½ 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.
Nutrition Facts
Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
Amount per Serving
Calories
476
% Daily Value*
Fat
26
g
40
%
Saturated Fat
9
g
56
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
14
g
Cholesterol
115
mg
38
%
Sodium
913
mg
40
%
Potassium
1603
mg
46
%
Carbohydrates
23
g
8
%
Fiber
5
g
21
%
Sugar
12
g
13
%
Protein
37
g
74
%
Vitamin A
5008
IU
100
%
Vitamin C
22
mg
27
%
Calcium
90
mg
9
%
Iron
7
mg
39
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.