Just another comfort food obsession here that I’d like to share with you folks! Warm braised beef ragu that has been slow-simmered with onions, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, and my absolute favorite ingredient in a homemade Sunday sauce – parmesan rind. The meat soaks up all those flavors and just easily falls apart when you shred it with a fork. Saucy, tender, and best when served over pappardelle pasta. Bellissimo! It’s my favorite kind of meal to make on the weekends. Sometimes I’ll get a head start on Friday and let the braised beef ragu simmer all day long until it’s fall-apart tender. Then I’ll let it cool and hang out in the refrigerator until Sunday. We’ll put together warm bowls of this stuff for Sunday dinner, and something about the magic of slow-simmering the sauce and letting it hang out in the fridge makes this so much more irresistible. The flavors truly have a chance to blend and are so harmonious through and through; all there, just dancing on the tip of your tongue! And let me just say this. Whether it’s raining, snowing, or there’s just a hint of chill in the air, all of these just add to the vibe I’m going for with this hearty yet comforting meal.
Making beef ragu is easy:
What is a Ragù?
Ragù is a meat-based sauce often made with veal, lamb, beef, or pork. Sometimes a combination of these meats is used. Ragù has a tomato-based sauce and is often slow-simmered with aromatic herbs. Often served over pappardelle, tagliatelle, or spaghetti.
What do you need to make braised beef Ragù?
Beef: When I first shared this recipe years ago, I had only tested it with a chuck roast. But since then, I’ve also tried it with an eye of round roast – both work well,l but I do find that if you switch from the chuck to an eye of round, it does significantly increase the amount of time needed to braise the ragù.Onions + Garlic: the minced onions and garlic are the heart and soul of this sauce. When slow-simmered, they add so much flavor to the sauce.Beef broth: I like to use all beef broth for my ragù. However, you can replace some of the stock with red wine as well.Tomato products: In a ragù, I really like to pack a punch with my tomato products. So for this recipe, I use tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes. The crushed tomatoes, along with tomato paste, make the sauce hearty, and the diced tomatoes are there for texture and pops of brightness.Balsamic Vinegar: This is my secret ingredient! The flavor of balsamic vinegar in this recipe takes it to 100. It adds a deep aged flavor to the sauce where you feel like a little an Italian nonna hand-delivered a batch of homemade sauce to your kitchen!Aromatics: I use bay leaves, basil, fresh thyme, and some chopped parsley for topping the ragù with before serving. Parmesan Rind: The rind is the portion of the parmesan’s protective outer layer. I save this portion every time I buy a block of parmesan cheese in a baggie in my freezer for soups, stocks, and homemade ragù!Seasonings: we’ll need a good bit of salt, sugar, and some red pepper flakes to season the sauce with.
How to make the best braised beef ragù:
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Original recipe shared Nov. 2016, updated with new pictures and easier directions Feb. 2021. SaveSaveSaveSave
Beef: You can also use eye of round roast in this recipe, however, I do find that it takes close to 6 hours for the meat to be fall-apart tender. You’ll also need to check the liquid around the 4th hour and add more stock/water. Also, cooking times may vary if using grass-fed/organic beef.
