Our Favourite Ragu Tutorial

After reading many blogs and really enjoying tutorial posts, I thought I'd give one a go myself, so hopefully this will all make sense and flow nicely!


One of the favourite meals at our house is pasta.  Ava and Phil are particularly fond of my beef ragu which I often make to go with homemade pasta.  I'm not a huge fan of meat, but I'll eat this pretty happily.  


It's my take on the casserole that mum often used to make when we were growing up.  Mine's a bit thicker and less 'saucy' than Mum's. I like to use my cast iron casserole pot to cook this in, as it seems to cook the sauce really beautifully.  


You will need some time to make this.  It's not as tasty if it's made in a rush.  You need to make it with patience and love!!


So here we go!

You will need:

1kg gravy beef diced into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion diced
2 medium carrots finely diced
2 sticks celery finely diced
a large handful flat leaf parsley finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 cup white wine (depending upon your taste)
1 jar of Barilla tomato and basil sauce (or 440g tin of tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder (I use Massell brand)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon brown sugarSalt & Pepper to taste
flour to coat beef

Roll beef cubes in flour to coat thoroughly.  You can season the flour if you like.  

Brown beef cubes thoroughly in olive oil over a medium - high heat.  Do this in batches, so there is plenty of room and the pan isn't over crowded.

Sorry for the graphic picture!  You want the beef to develop that 'caramelly' dark, browned crust, not just turn light brown.  This is what gives the ragu its flavour, so don't rush this step!  Place browned meat onto a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oiliness.

Gently sweat the onions, carrots, celery and parsley over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan as it cooks.  This adds to the flavour!

It should look like this once the veggie mixture is cooked sufficiently!

Add the white wine and crushed garlic to the veggie mixture.  Allow to simmer away and reduce by about a third.

Your seasonings - paprika, powdered stock, salt and pepper, brown sugar and bay leaves.

Return browned meat to pan.

Add tomato sauce

 refill jar to half full with water and add this too (if you're using tinned tomatoes half fill the can)

Add seasonings

Stir thoroughly

Bring to the boil, stirring, and then reduce the heat to a very low simmer.

Cover and put a heat diffuser underneath if you have one to prevent sticking.  Allow to simmer very slowly for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 (or even more) hours.  Stir it occasionally and make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Add a little more liquid if required as it cooks.

Your finished Ragu over Homemade pasta - Bon Appetito!