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4.9 from 87 votes

Beef Ragu

My beef ragu recipe cooks for hours until it is incredibly tender and flavorful. Serve it with pappardelle pasta for a hearty and impressive dinner! Recipe includes a how-to video!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 565 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian , American

Ingredients

  • 3 lb chuck roast patted dry and cut into fist-sized pieces
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
  • 2 carrots chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
  • 2 celery stalks chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 ½ cup)
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic  about 5-6 cloves
  • 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar may substitute a dry red wine
  • 2 cups beef broth may substitute chicken broth or chicken stock
  • ¼ cup water
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
  • 2-3 fresh thyme springs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 dried bay leaves
For Serving
  • 12 oz-1 lb Pappardelle or preferred pasta for serving
  • Parmesan Cheese for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Arrange rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 350F (165C).
  2. Season beef on all sides with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat oil in a large enameled Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add beef and sear on all sides until deep brown in color (once you place the beef in the pot, let it sit for about 2-3 minutes before touching/turning it so you get a nice sear). After searing, remove to a plate and set aside. There should be lots of browned bits on the bottom of the pot – leave those, they’re great for flavor.
  4. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the pot and, once melted, add carrot, celery, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 3-5 minutes).
  5. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  6. Add tomato paste and stir until well-incorporated with veggies.
  7. Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in red wine vinegar and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Cook until the vinegar is reduced by about 50% and the steam from the pot no longer has a pungent vinegar odor.
  8. Add beef broth, water, crushed tomatoes, and crushed red pepper (if using). Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
  9. Return beef to the pot and add bay leaves and thyme (make sure they are submerged), cover with lid, and transfer to the oven.
  10. Cook for 3 hours or until beef is extremely tender and may be easily shredded with a fork (but don’t shred it yet).
  11. Remove beef from the pot. Use a potato masher to break up the vegetables in the pot (for a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender, but I like mine a bit heartier). Shred the beef and return to the pot. Taste-test and add additional salt/pepper as needed.
Serving
  1. Serve as desired, I like to serve mine over pappardelle. If you’d like to toss the noodles with the bolognese sauce, reserve a bit of the pasta water (about ½ cup) and add it into the sauce with the noodles and simmer over low heat for several minutes until thickened and clinging to the noodles before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • For best flavor in a slow cooker, I recommend first following steps 1-7 then transferring everything (beef, veggies/vinegar in pot and remaining ingredients) to the slow cooker and cooking for 7-8 hours on low or 5 hours on high. Don’t skip the steps or the sauce will be thin and vinegary tasting.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for several months.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 565kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 42g (84%) Fat 27g (42%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 157mg (52%) Sodium 854mg (36%) Potassium 1092mg (31%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 448IU (9%) Vitamin C 12mg (13%) Calcium 94mg (9%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 565

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 565kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 42g 84%
Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 157mg 52%
Sodium 854mg 36%
Potassium 1092mg 23%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 448IU 9%
Vitamin C 12mg 13%
Calcium 94mg 9%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.