Beef Ragu Recipe
This deliciously cozy Beef Ragu Recipe is hearty, flavorful, rich, and very simple to make. This dish makes amazing leftovers and freezes really well, making it the perfect make ahead recipe!
Servings: 8
Calories: 756kcal
Ingredients
Braised Beef Ragu
- 2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into 4 to 5 large pieces
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, trimmed and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1½ tbsp minced oregano
- 3½ tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup beef broth
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 bunch minced basil leaves
cheesy polenta
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups dry polenta
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ cups shredded gruyere
- salt and pepper to taste
garnish
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 basil leaves
Instructions
beef ragu
- Season chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in a large, Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add beef to Dutch oven and sear on each side for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to Dutch oven followed by onions, carrots and celery and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir oregano, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to mixture and stir together.
- Deglaze pot with broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and basil leaves and stir together.
- Add beef back into pot and reduce heat to medium-low to low. Cover and (barely) simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until beef is for tender and falling apart.
- Shred beef with 2 forks and stir into sauce until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Polenta
- Pour water into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta in a slow and steady stream until fully combined.
- Lower heat to medium and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, while constantly stirring, or until the mixture thickens (to a porridge consistency). Remove polenta from heat and stir in the butter and shredded gruyere a little at a time, until mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To Serve
- Pour polenta into bowls and top with beef ragu. Top each bowl with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves (optional). Serve.
Notes
Tips and Tricks for Beef Ragu Success
- evenly sized pieces of chuck roast - this will allow the beef to cook evenly.
- low and slow - which will prevent the bottom from burning. It will also help to prevent the beef from getting tough.
- the 'soffrito' - which consists of the sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and garlic is a traditional Italian base, used in many dishes. While you may not see it in all ragu recipes, it adds an incredible amount of flavor to the dish.
- cut of beef - part of the beauty of beef ragu is that you're able to use an inexpensive, tough cut of beef and turn it into something tender and delicious. Our preference is chuck roast for its good beef flavor and inexpensiveness, but other options are rump roast and short ribs.
- add more broth as needed - If all liquid has evaporated and beef still needs more time to get tender, stir an additional cup of beef stock back into the ragu and continue to gently simmer.
Nutrition
Calories: 756kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 1273mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4384IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 466mg | Iron: 7mg