Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu
This is a ragu meant for a rainy afternoon. The goal isn't just to cook the beef, but to let the liquid thicken into a deep, mahogany coating for your noodles.
Don't rush the sear.
The depth of the final sauce comes entirely from the dark brown crust on the meat and the caramelization of the vegetables. If you crowd the pot, the meat will steam instead of brown.
- Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
- Tongs
- Wooden spoon
- Large fork for shredding
What goes in.
- 3 lbbeef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
- 2 tbspneutral oil
- 1large yellow onion, diced
- 2carrots, finely diced
- 2celery stalks, finely diced
- 4garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cupdry red wine
- 28 ozcrushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 2 cupsbeef stock
- 3sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1bay leaf
Maillard reaction is your foundation
Sear the beef in batches over high heat until a hard, dark crust forms. Do not discard the brown bits left on the bottom of the pot; that is where the sauce finds its intensity.
The method.
Sear the beef
Heat oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.
Aromatics
Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook until the onions turn light brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for another minute.
Deglaze
Pour in the wine. Use the wooden spoon to scrape every bit of the browned meat from the bottom of the pan as the liquid simmers.
Simmer
Return the beef to the pot. Add tomatoes, stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to the lowest heat possible, covering partially.
The long wait
Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours. You know it is done when the meat falls apart effortlessly when pressed with a spoon.
Finish
Remove the meat, shred it with a fork, discard the thyme stems and bay leaf. Stir the meat back into the sauce and simmer for 10 more minutes to marry the textures.
Other turns to take.
Wine-free
Replace the red wine with an extra half-cup of beef stock and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for acidity.
Short Rib blend
Replace one pound of the chuck roast with beef short ribs for a higher fat content and a silkier sauce.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always salt the beef chunks before searing, not just the sauce later.
If the sauce looks too thin at the end, remove the lid and increase the heat for 10 minutes to reduce it.
Ragu tastes better the next day after the flavors have spent time in the refrigerator.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes, after step 3, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Why does my sauce taste metallic?
Usually, this means the tomato paste wasn't cooked long enough in step 2. Give the paste a few minutes to turn from bright red to a deeper, brick color.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe