Beef ragu, beef ragu, beef ragu, beef ragu….sometimes a dish pops in my head and dominates my thoughts so much, that I end up planning an entire day around making that dish. Beef ragu. It is not the first time this dish has infected my thoughts, but the results were definitely the best!
I only had some stew meat on hand, so that is what I used this time, and it worked beautifully. However, I have made it with short rib and beef shank in the past, which add another nice layer to the flavors. Truly, any fatty beef can be used. If you do use beef with bones, just make sure to remove the bones at the stage where the beef is shredded.
This meal was perfect for a day off of work for just the two of us, but would also be beautiful, and fairly easy, if you are having guests for dinner as well!
- 4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1.5 lb stew beef (if using beef with bones, use 3 lbs)
- 1 tsp seasoning salt (I use Goya Adobo)
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 large carrots, peeled
- 1 medium vidalia onion, peeled
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz diced tomatoes with juice
- ¾ cup red wine (I used Wicked Cabernet)
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ tsp oregeno
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 lb pappardelle pasta (I used Trader Joe's)
- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees
- Season beef with seasoning salt and lightly coat each piece in flour
- In a large, heavy, oven-proof fry pan, brown the chopped bacon over medium high heat
- When bacon is crispy, remove the pieces using a slotted spoon, and set them aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pan
- Add the beef to the bacon fat and brown all sides of the beef
- While the beef is browning, in a food processor or blender, place the carrots, onions and garlic. Blend until the mixture is a fine mince
- Add the tomato paste and tomatoes to the carrot mixture, and pulse 5 - 10 times, or until it is just mixed in
- When the meat is brown, add the carrot mixture to the pan, stirring well and scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan
- Stir in the wine and bring to a boil
- Stir in the broth, cooked bacon pieces, thyme, oregano, sugar and bay leaf and bring to a boil
- Cover and place the pan in the oven to cook undisturbed for 90 minutes
- Uncover the pan and continue to cook in the over for an additional 90 minutes
- During the last 20 minutes of cooking, prepare your pasta as directed on the package
- When the ragu is done cooking, remove it from the oven and carefully shred the beef (and remove bones if your meat had them)
- Stir your drained pasta into the sauce and cover. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Your meal is served!
