Simple Slow Cooked Beef Tomato Ragù

Perhaps a Stew that takes 4 hours to cook may not seem simple but most of the cooking is done in the oven and the result is meltingly tender meat matched perfectly with the intense richness of an aromatic mushroomy tomato sauce.

Like most slow cooked meals, it tastes even better reheated the next day.  For a change when serving the leftovers - Instead of accompanying with pasta, try thick slices of toasted sourdough.  Either way it will taste delicious, fill the house with tempting aromas and satisfy winter cravings.

Preparation     15 minutes

Cooking            30 minutes on stovetop then 3 ½ to 4 hours cooking in the oven.

Serves               6 – 8                 Served with pasta.

Ingredients

1.2  kilogram Beef Chuck Steak. Remove some of the thick fat then cut meat into 3 cm cubes.

 

HINT: After the large pieces of fat are trimmed off you should have about 800 – 900 gram meat.  Some fat will remain marbling the meat but I feel better removing the chunky fat.  (Don’t tell Nana).

Plain flour – for dusting – seasoned with a little salt and pepper. A few tablespoons at least.

1 – 2 tablespoons Australian Olive Oil

2 brown onions – chopped

2 cloves garlic – chopped

2 stalks celery – sliced

2 carrots – peeled and diced

Fresh thyme – 4 stalks

Rosemary – 1 stalk

800 gram tin Crushed Tomatoes

1 ½ cup Beef Stock – Salt reduced

½ - 1 cup water

a little less than ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar – to your taste. You may like to use the full ¼ cup.

Splash Worcestershire Sauce

Maybe:  may need a handful of red lentils in last half hour if stew has not thickened.

250 gram mushrooms – sliced

½ bunch of Kale – trimmed from tough stalks then roughly chopped

Pepper and Salt – to taste

Parsley – finely chopped for garnish

Pasta to accompany (chunky type like rigatoni or penne)

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C

Place the seasoned flour into a large plastic bag.

Add the beef in batches.  Gently shake to dust with the flour.  Shake off the excess and set aside.

Use a heavy ovenproof casserole lidded pot.

Place the casserole pot on the stovetop.  Heat the pot then add the oil.

In batches, quickly brown the meat. Remove then reserve in a bowl until completed.

HINT: if you brown too much meat at once, it turns into a gloopy soggy mass. It is better to cook this amount of meat in 3 or 4 batches so you have more control over the browning.

Reduce heat, add a dash more oil and brown the onions then add garlic, celery and carrots.

Stir until softened slightly.

Mix in the stock, tomatoes and ½ cup of the water along with the thyme and rosemary stalks.

HINT: Be sure to loosen and stir in any caramelised bits off the base of pan when you start to add the stock.

HINT – count the number of stalks to make it easy to remove at end of cooking.

Mix through the Vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.  Simmer for 5 minutes stirring well.

Return the beef (and meat juices) to the pot. Mix well through.

Taste and add a little extra Balsamic it you like.

Bring to gentle boil. Stir well then remove from stovetop heat.  Cover with lid.

Place pot into warmed oven. 

Cook for 3 hours.

Then check the stew. If it is too dry add some more water.  If too sloppy, add a handful of red lentils.  

HINT:  a tight fitting lid keeps the moisture in but a looser lid will allow gradual steam loss resulting in a drier stew at this stage.

Add the sliced mushrooms and return to oven for 30 minutes.

Check again to ensure sauce is thick and lush.  Taste and adjust Pepper and Salt to your taste.

Add the chopped kale and return to oven for 10 minutes.  The meat should be meltingly tender and falling apart.

Before serving, remove the thyme and rosemary stalks.  Stir through the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish.

Serve with cooked pasta – use a hearty style like rigatoni or penne.

You can mix the pasta through or serve the pasta topped with a generous spoonful of ragù.

Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and the remaining parsley.

                                         Enjoy!    Colleen