Braised Beef Ragu

4.54 from 13 votes

Braised Beef - cozy comfort meal slow cooked. Fork tender, mouth watering shredded beef in a robust tomato sauce. Serve with pappardelle or your favorite pasta.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beef ragu, braised beef ragu, ragu, italian recipe, braised beef, sunday supper

Servings:

Calories:

Equipment

dutch oven or large pot with lid

Ingredients

2 ½ pound beef chuck roast
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter divided
1 medium onion diced
1 stalk celery cut in thirds
1 large carrot cut in thirds
3 cloves garlic grated
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3-4 whole sage leaves
1 cup dry red wine such as chianti or cabernet
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
¼ cup Italian parsley diced
1 pound pappardelle pasta
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cut the beef into 4 approximately equal pieces. Trim any excess fat then pat it dry with paper towels. Generously season the beef on all sides with salt and pepper (I use about a tablespoon of salt to cover all the pieces).
Add the olive oil and a tablespoon of butter to a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Place the beef into the pot searing on each side then remove from the pot and set aside.
TIP: the beef will release when searing is done on that side. If it doesn’t lift, don’t force it. – just wait a few seconds and try again.
Reduce to medium low heat then add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary and sage.
Sauté 2-3 minutes stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn, then add the the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot then simmer 2-3 minutes over medium to medium-low heat letting the wine reduce.
Add crushed tomatoes and beef stock, stirring to combine then return the beef and their juices to pot, turning each piece over in the sauce.
Cover and bake 325° for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. After 1 hour, give it a good stir.
Check for doneness after 2 hours. The meat is done cooking when it shreds easily with a fork (but before it’s mushy).
Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the beef to a plate and discard the carrots, celery and herbs. If you like a thicker sauce, simmer over medium to medium-low heat uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and pepper.
Using two forks shred the beef leaving some of it in larger pieces then add it to the sauce along with the remaining butter and parsley. Stir gently until combined
Cook pappardelle according to package directions reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
Blend a splash of the pasta water into the sauce then add the pasta gently turning to coat. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.
NOTE: because some canned tomatoes aren’t as sweet as others you may need to add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the sauce, combining well.

Nutrition