Slow-Simmered Tomato Ragu
Good ragu isn't a quick Tuesday night meal; it is a project for a quiet afternoon. You are looking to turn humble ingredients into something dark, rich, and cohesive.
Control your evaporation
Use a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven to ensure heat spreads evenly across the base, preventing the sugars in the tomatoes from burning.
- Dutch oven or heavy pot
- Wooden spoon
- Chef's knife
What goes in.
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1 largeyellow onion, finely diced
- 2 stalkscelery, finely diced
- 1 mediumcarrot, finely diced
- 1 lbground beef or pork
- 3 tbsptomato paste
- 28 ozwhole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 cupdry red wine
- 1 tspdried oregano
- to tastekosher salt and black pepper
Browning the paste
Before adding liquid, cook the tomato paste with the meat until it turns from bright red to a deep, rusty brown. This removes the tinny edge and creates a backbone of sweetness.
The method.
Sweat the vegetables
Heat oil in the pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Cook until the onions turn translucent and the carrots soften, about 8 minutes.
Brown the meat
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the meat and break it up with your spoon. Cook until the liquid from the meat evaporates and it starts to sizzle in its own fat.
Caramelize the paste
Add the tomato paste to the center of the pot. Stir constantly for 3 minutes until the color deepens significantly.
Deglaze
Pour in the wine. Use the wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer until reduced by half.
Simmer
Add the crushed tomatoes and oregano. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cover partially and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce is done when it is thick, dark red, and the oil has started to separate on the surface.
Other turns to take.
Pork and Fennel
Replace the beef with ground pork and add a teaspoon of toasted fennel seeds during the vegetable stage.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Crush the tomatoes by hand rather than using a blender to maintain small, rustic chunks.
If the sauce gets too thick before the time is up, add a splash of water or stock to keep it moving.
Let the sauce sit for 30 minutes after turning off the heat; the flavors will settle and deepen.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use ground turkey?
You can, but it lacks the fat needed to carry the flavor over a long simmer. If using turkey, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
How do I know if the tomatoes are cooked enough?
The bright, acidic smell of raw tomatoes will disappear, replaced by a darker, more mellow aroma.
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