Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu (2024)

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By Nicky Corbishley

• ▢ 1 kg (2 1/4 lbs) braising beef chopped into bite-sized cubes
• ▢ 3 heaped tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp pepper
• ▢ 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 medium onions peeled and chopped
• ▢ 4 medium carrots peeled and chopped into small chunks
• ▢ 3 sticks of celery chopped finely
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
• ▢ 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) red wine (optional, replace with stock if you prefer)
• ▢ 2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) hot beef stock (water plus 2 stock cubes is fine)
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme

To Serve:

• ▢ cooked pappardelle pasta or your favourite pasta
• ▢ finely grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ small bunch parsley chopped

• Preheat oven to 160C/325F (fan).

• Place the braising beef in a bowl and mix with the flour, salt, and pepper.

  1 kg (2 1/4 lbs) braising beef, 3 heaped tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper

• Heat up the oil in a large casserole pan, Brown the beef (you may need to do this in two or three batches).

  3 tbsp vegetable oil

• Add the onion to the beef and cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

  2 medium onions

• Add in the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for another two minutes.

  4 medium carrots, 3 sticks of celery, 3 cloves garlic

• Add in the tomato puree (paste) and stir, then add in the wine, turn up the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Scrape up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.

  2 tbsp tomato puree, 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) red wine

• Add in the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, and thyme. Bring to the boil, stir and place a lid on the pan.

  2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) hot beef stock, 1 tsp dried thyme

• Place in the oven for 3-4 hours(*Note 1) until the beef is very tender. Check every hour or so to ensure the sauce isn't running dry. Top up with a splash of boiling water if it's starting to look dry.

• Once cooked, serve with pappardelle. You can stir the pappardelle through the sauce or just serve the sauce on top of the pappardelle if you prefer. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and parsley, then serve.

  cooked pappardelle pasta, finely grated parmesan cheese, small bunch parsley

Note 1 – Making it in the slow cooker?

If you want to cook this in a slow cooker, reduce the amount of stock to 480ml (2 cups). This is because the liquid doesn’t evaporate as much in the slow cooker as it does in the oven.
Make the recipe up to an including the point you add the tinned tomatoes, stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, then pour everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes, make the ragu, then cool quickly, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheat in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot throughout.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, make the ragu, then cool quickly, cover and freeze. I like to freeze mine in portions of one or two, but you can freeze in larger portions if you prefer.

Defrost overnight in the refrigerator (it will likely take longer than overnight to defrost if you freeze a large portion).
Reheat in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot throughout.

How to scale up and scale down this recipe

You can double or halve the recipe, sticking to the same quantities.
If you’re halving the recipe, keep a close eye on it when in the oven, as the reduced amount of liquid can mean it can dry out quicker. Add a splash or water or stock if it’s starting to look dry.

If you double the recipe, please note it will take a little longer to cook in each of the steps. Allow an extra 10 minutes for the initial cooking steps (browning the meat and softening the vegetables), then an extra 30-60 minutes in the oven – until the meat is fall-apart tender.

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Nutritional Information is per Serving WITHOUT the Serving suggestions of Pasta, Cheese and Parsley