Braised Beef Ragu With Gemelli Recipes

BRAISED BEEF RAGU

Steps:

• Bring the beef to room temperature then cut it into 4 pieces. Pat it dry with paper towels, then generously season it on all sides with salt and pepper (I used a good tablespoon of salt).
• Add the olive oil and a tablespoon of butter to a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot over medium high heat and once it's hot, add the beef searing on all sides and ends then transfer the beef to a plate.
• Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary and sage. Reduce the heat to medium-low and saute 5 minutes then add the tomato paste and continue cooking 2 more minutes.
• Pour in the wine scraping the bottom to get all the brown bits off and cook 2-3 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally or until the wine starts to reduce, then fold in the crushed tomatoes and beef stock
• Return beef and their juices to pot, turning them over in the sauce then cover bake at 325 degrees for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, stirring at the 1 hour point and checking for doneness at 2 hours. You want the beef to be able to shred easily, but before it becomes mushy.
• Remove the pot from the oven and take the beef out of the pot for shredding. Remove the carrots, celery and herbs then continue cooking the sauce 15 more minutes (stovetop) uncovered allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken more while you shred the beef.
• Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and pepper.NOTE: Some canned tomatoes aren't as sweet as others. If your sauce isn't as sweet as you'd like, add brown sugar ½ teaspoon at a time, combining thoroughly and tasting after each ½ teaspoon.
• Using 2 forks shred the beef (I like to leave about 1/3 of it in a bit larger pieces) then add the shredded beef to the sauce along with the other tablespoon of butter and chopped parsley.
• Serve with pappardelle or gnocchi cooked according to package directions along with fresh bread or salad and fresh parmesan cheese.

BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH GEMELLI RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil on a large oven-proof Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, brown the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Remove the beef from the pot and reserve. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and sauté until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and the celery and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and the tomato paste, stir and cook for a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Then add the balsamic vinegar and cook, scrapping the bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until almost all gone, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, prepare bouquet garni by tying all the fresh herbs together with a kitchen string. When the wine has reduced, add back the browned beef and the bouquet garni. Add the crushed tomatoes and the beef stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium high heat. Then, cover the dutch oven and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the beef is very tender. If the sauce is too liquidy at the end of the 3 hour cooking period, remove the beef and bring the liquid to the stovetop, over medium heat, to simmer until thickened to your likings. Discard the bouquet garni. Shred the meat into smaller pieces and return to the pot with the sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Cook the pasta, according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta water. Spoon a little of the tomato sauce over the pasta and toss, adding pasta water if necessary. Serve the pasta with the ragu (and some more sauce). Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.