I watched a cooking show about making beef and vegetable ragu and decided to try it, using Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce and a mix of pasta, while having the butcher cut my 1.2 kg beef chuck into 4 pieces.

“Slow-cooked beef and vegetables ragu is a rich Italian meat sauce made by simmering beef with aromatic vegetables for hours, resulting in tender meat and melded flavours from tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Traditionally served over pasta, it can also be enjoyed with polenta, gnocchi, or other starches.”

“Beef chuck, a budget-friendly cut from the shoulder and upper arm of a cow, is rich in flavor due to its connective tissue and marbling. It offers high-quality protein, iron, and essential nutrients like zinc and B vitamins, making it suitable for slow cooking methods like braising or stewing, which result in a tender and moist final product.”

This my first time doing slow cooking method, finished off the mixture of pasta and using simple ingredients. Glad it turned out meltingly tender, tasty with mixture of pasta. Let’s slow cooked!!!

Ingredients

4 pieces beef chuck
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
4 sprigs fresh sage leaves, chopped
12 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
400 g can tinned diced tomatoes
400 g can tinned plum tomatoes
150 g mushrooms, diced
3 Tbs tomato puree
3-5 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
3-5 Tbs oil, divided
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 c red wine or water
450 ml beef stock
1 tsp nutmeg powder
salt
black pepper
500 g mixture of pasta (spirals, macaroni, curly pappardelle)
chili flakes, garnish

Method

Rinse beef chuck and pat really dry as possible and rub with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil over high heat in a cast iron pan or a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 – 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate. Note: Work in batches, as necessary, to avoid overcrowding. Repeat, as necessary, with any remaining beef.

Reduce heat to medium low and add remaining 2 Tbs oil with a big pinch of salt. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.

Now add 3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce first, plum tomatoes, diced tomatoes, rosemary, sage leaves, thyme, nutmeg powder, bay leaves, wine and beef stock and tomato puree. Then return the beef (including all the juices), to cast iron pan; stir well. Increase heat to medium high, and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it’s bubbling very very gently. Cover cast iron pan and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to cut to small pieces or shred.

Remove beef cut into small pieces or coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to cast iron pan. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened; beef will soften slightly more during this step. Now add eggplant and mushrooms. Stir well and if ragu sauce begins to reduce too much (i.e. it loses too much of its liquid too quickly), feel free to add in a splash more water. I have added the remaining 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce and about 1/8 c water, and stir well.

Just before the sauce is almost ready, start cooking your pasta. Bring a very large pot of water with a good heap of salt to the boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to al dente according to package directions. I cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions. Carefully drain the pasta well.

Do a taste test ragu sauce and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. Add 1-2 Tsp sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste. Spoon cooked pasta onto bowls, and then spoon the beef and vegetables ragu over it. The plate above is mine. I stir the ragu sauce to mixed well with my mixture pasta and scatter chili flakes over the top. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2016/10/13/beef-and-vegetables-ragu-serving-with-worcestershire-sauce/

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