Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What cut of beef is best for ragù? ›

I use fairly inexpensive braising or stewing steak – often known as chuck steak, which comes from the forequarter. Usually, this consists of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm. It's a tough but very flavorful cut of meat.

Add a slurry at the end.

A slurry is a mixture of flour and water, whisked together until smooth and added towards the end of cooking; it's a super-simple way to thicken any soup. For slow cooker soups, add your slurry with at least 30 minutes of cook time left so that the raw flour can cook and thicken the soup.

Ragu is better for keeping - a day in the fridge will get the flavours working together. About half an hour before the sauce is due to be ready, add the milk or cream, spoon by spoon. If you use milk, use full fat.

When it comes to slow-braised beef ragus, you can't really overcook the sauce. It's recommended that your cook your ragu for at least two hours. If you plan on cooking for longer, make sure there is enough liquid in the pot to keep the sauce properly hydrated so it doesn't burn.

If the beef is still tough after 2.5 hours of cooking, it needs to cook for longer. Make sure the sauce is still bubbling very gently (you should be able to see bubbles appearing in the sauce; if not, the heat is too low and the beef will take a lot longer to cook).

Bolognese sauce is typically more strict in its recipe, including ingredients like ground meat (usually a combo of pork and beef mince), onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, broth, wine, and sometimes milk or cream. It's generally a much thicker sauce than other ragù varieties and is served with taglatielle.

Take the lid off

Place the cooker on a high setting, and open the lid for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce. (Tip: This trick can also be applied for thickening stews, or when you've accidentally added too much liquid.)

Unless you are using a pressure cooker, it will take 2 to 3 hours to extract the collagen from the meat and allow it to soften. You will know it's ready by taste. I constantly taste my ragu it's cooking, and you will notice when the meat just gets really soft and falls apart.

According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”. She adds: “It also makes the mince meat nice and tender, creating that melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.”

Do you cook ragu with lid on or off? ›

If you want to reduce a sauce or liquid keep pot uncovered so that the excess water can evaporate. If you want the moisture to be absorbed e.g. when cooking rice keep the lid on. Slow cooking a casserole or braised dish cover the pot so that the vapour circulates and keeps the meat moist.

After many tests, the optimal cooking time is between 4-5 hours for the best flavour. It's, of course, perfect and traditional to serve with pasta; my favourite is tagliatelle. Always use a little pasta water and heat and stir the pasta and sauce in a hot pan so that the pasta is fully coated before serving.

Beef: Chuck roast is perfect for the low and slow cooking we do in this recipe. It has great fat marbling that melts into the sauce to create a rich taste and texture. Other great cuts for ragu include beef brisket, beef shanks, or beef short ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours. The beef is ready if it falls apart easily when pulled apart with two forks. NOTE: If you desire a thicker sauce, stir the cornstarch/water mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes and allow to thicken.

Don't skip the milk. Cooking the meat in milk first, before adding the wine and tomatoes tenderizes the texture. Some Ragù Bolognese sauce recipes call for adding the milk at the end of cooking (bit by bit). But I add it earlier on- I like the texture and flavor better this way.

Ragù is a meat-based sauce, typically served with pasta. Traditionally, pieces of meat (often beef, pork, game, or even horse), are cooked on a low heat in a braising liquid (this is usually tomato or wine-based) over a long period of time.

The cut of beef used for Italian beef is typically chuck roast. However, top sirloin, top round, or bottom round would also work well. Giardiniera. A delicious blend of pickled vegetables that adds that wonderful, classic flavor to Italian beef.

Chuck roast is arguably the best cut to use for pulled beef. Similar to the front shoulder of pork (or the pork “butt”) chuck roasts, being from the front shoulder of the steer, are chock full of fat, collagen, and marbling. This is the stuff we need to make delicious juicy pulled beef.

Beef is often paired with a red pasta sauce featuring a spicier flavor to compliment the natural flavors of the meat. One of the finest cuts of beef to be served with pasta is chopped filet mignon. The tenderness of the steak paired with the flavor of the sauce creates an unforgettable pasta dish.