Beef shin ragu

Slow cooked beef ragu pasta

Serves

4 - 6

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs

The Italian word ‘Ragù’ more or less means a meaty sauce for pasta (Bolognese is a type of ragù). This beef shin version is a lovely way to make a rich, flavoursome sauce using a very economical cut. I like the way the meltingly tender chunks of meat add a great texture to the sauce too. The sauce freezes well so it’s easy to whip up a quick meal on a week night, or you can use the slow cooker for the ragù during the day and cook the pasta when you get home.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

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Ingredients

Beef

800g Quality Mark beef shini
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion
finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
crushed
2 celery stalks
finely chopped
2 carrots
finely chopped
2 Tbsp oregano
finely chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 anchovy fillets
chopped
1 cup red winei
2 cups beef stocki
1 bay leaf

To serve

pappardellei
cook according to packet instructions
Parmesan cheese
shaved

Method

To Make Ragù

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Season the beef with a little salt and pepper. Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan over a very high heat and sear the beef to brown all over (you may need to do this in two batches). Set the beef aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and another dash of oil to the pan and cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and oregano for about 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Add the tomato paste and anchovies and cook for another few minutes.

Add the wine, turn up the heat and let it bubble for 30 seconds. Add the stock and the bay leaf.

If your pan is ovenproof, add the beef and its juices back to the pan and cover with the lid, or transfer everything to a covered casserole dish.

Bake in the oven for 3 hours, stirring a couple of times to ensure the beef stays mostly covered with liquid.

To Serve

Remove the meat with tongs and place on a clean board. Remove and discard the bones and pull the beef into chunks with two forks. If necessary, at this point you can simmer the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop to reduce and thicken it.

Add the meat back into the sauce, taste and season as required. Spoon the meat sauce onto the hot pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Serve with a side of green salad.

To Slow Cook

Slow cooker option: At the point when you have added the cooked beef and its juices back into the pan, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.