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Slow-Braised Beef Ragù

4–6 servings3 hrs 40 mins – 4 hrs 10 mins

Fork-tender chuck braised in red wine and tomato, shredded into a rich sauce and tossed with pappardelle.

Ingredients

Beef
Sauce
Pasta

Instructions

Beef & Sauce
1. Season the beef | 5 mins
  • Season
    Beef chuck roast
    cut into 7–8 cm chunks, patted completely dry, 1½ kg
     all over with
    Kosher salt
    2 tsp
     and
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1 tsp
    .
2. Sear in batches | 15 mins
  • Heat
    Olive oil
    2 tbsp
     in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Sear the beef in 2–3 batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned.
  • Don't crowd the pot or move the pieces too soon.
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • If much more than 2 tbsp of fat remains, pour off the excess.
3. Soften the soffritto | 10 mins
  • Reduce the heat to medium.
  • Add
    Finely diced onion
    1 large
    ,
    Finely diced carrots
    2 medium
     and
    Finely diced celery
    2 stalks
     with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, 6–8 minutes.
  • Stir in
    Minced garlic
    4 cloves
     and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
4. Caramelize and deglaze | 5 mins
  • Stir in
    Tomato paste
    2 tbsp
     and cook, stirring, until it darkens to brick red, about 2 minutes.
  • Pour in
    Dry red wine
    250 ml
    Chianti, Merlot or Cabernet
    , scraping up the browned fond, and simmer until reduced by about half, 3–4 minutes.
5. Assemble the braise | 5 mins
  • Return the beef and its resting juices to the pot and add
    Canned crushed tomatoes
    400 g
    .
  • Pour in
    Beef stock
    375 ml
     until the liquid comes about three-quarters of the way up the meat; it shouldn't be fully submerged.
  • Tie
    Rosemary
    2 sprigs
     and
    Thyme
    3 sprigs
     into a bundle and tuck it in along with
    Bay leaves
    2
     and
    Parmesan rind
    1
    Optional
    .
  • Bring to a bare simmer.
6. Braise low and slow | 2 hrs 30 mins – 3 hrs
  • Cover and cook at the gentlest possible simmer on the lowest heat, or even better in a 160°C (fan 140°C) oven, until the beef pulls apart with no resistance.
  • Check occasionally: you want a few lazy bubbles, never a boil.
7. Shred and thicken | 10 mins
  • Lift the beef onto a board and discard the herb bundle, bay leaves and rind.
  • Skim excess fat from the surface, then simmer the sauce uncovered over medium-high heat while you shred the meat with two forks, about 10 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
8. Season the sauce | 5 mins
  • Stir the shredded beef back into the sauce.
  • Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper, or a small splash of balsamic or pinch of sugar if it needs balancing.
  • Stir in
    Unsalted butter
    25 g
    Optional
     for gloss, if using, and keep warm over low heat.
Pasta
1. Cook the pasta | 10 mins
  • Boil
    Pappardelle or tagliatelle
    500 g
     in generously salted water until 1–2 minutes shy of al dente; it finishes cooking in the sauce.
  • Reserve 250 ml of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
2. Toss and serve | 5 mins
  • Add the pasta to the ragù over low heat with a good splash of pasta water and toss for 1–2 minutes until the sauce clings and turns glossy.
  • Off the heat, stir in
    Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    60 g
    plus more to serve
    .
  • Serve with the remaining Parmesan and
    Chopped fresh parsley
    2 tbsp
     scattered over.

Tips & Notes

  • Even better the next day: Cool the un-tossed ragù and refrigerate overnight, then reheat gently before tossing with pasta. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
  • No wine?: Substitute extra stock plus 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar.
  • Dry meat browns: Get the beef properly dry before it meets the pan; wet meat steams instead of searing.