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A simple weekend braised beef ragù that is perfect for a warming Sunday supper. Just set it up and let it slowly simmer all day until the meat is fall-apart tender. It’s seriously the most comforting meal!
Just another comfort food obsession here that I’d like to share with you folks!
Warm braised beef ragu that has been slow-simmered with onions, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, and my absolute favorite ingredient in a homemade Sunday sauce – parmesan rind. The meat soaks up all those flavors and just easily falls apart when you shred it with a fork. Saucy, tender, and best when served over pappardelle pasta. Bellissimo!
It’s my favorite kind of meal to make on the weekends. Sometimes I’ll get a head start on Friday and let the braised beef ragu simmer all day long until it’s fall-apart tender. Then I’ll let it cool and hang out in the refrigerator until Sunday. We’ll put together warm bowls of this stuff for Sunday dinner, and something about the magic of slow-simmering the sauce and letting it hang out in the fridge makes this so much more irresistible. The flavors truly have a chance to blend and are so harmonious through and through; all there, just dancing on the tip of your tongue!
And let me just say this. Whether it’s raining, snowing, or there’s just a hint of chill in the air, all of these just add to the vibe I’m going for with this hearty yet comforting meal.
Wow! I made this today & it was outstanding! I don’t follow recipes often but I’m really glad I did with this ragu. Pappardelle was also the perfect pasta to stand up to this bold sauce. Today this became one of my favs!
Let’s Make Ragu with Pappardelle
What is a Beef Ragu?
Ragù is a meat-based sauce often made with veal, lamb, beef, or pork. Sometimes a combination of these meats is used. Ragù has a tomato-based sauce and is often slow-simmered with aromatic herbs. Often served over pappardelle, tagliatelle, or spaghetti.
Ingredients for Braised Beef Ragu
- Beef: When I first shared this recipe years ago, I had only tested it with a chuck roast. But since then, I’ve also tried it with an eye of round roast – both work well,l but I do find that if you switch from the chuck to an eye of round, it does significantly increase the amount of time needed to braise the ragù.
- Onions + Garlic: the minced onions and garlic are the heart and soul of this sauce. When slow-simmered, they add so much flavor to the sauce.
- Beef broth: I like to use all beef broth for my ragù. However, you can replace some of the stock with red wine as well.
- Tomato products: In a ragù, I really like to pack a punch with my tomato products. So for this recipe, I use tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes. The crushed tomatoes, along with tomato paste, make the sauce hearty, and the diced tomatoes are there for texture and pops of brightness.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This is my secret ingredient! The flavor of balsamic vinegar in this recipe takes it to 100. It adds a deep aged flavor to the sauce where you feel like a little an Italian nonna hand-delivered a batch of homemade sauce to your kitchen!
- Aromatics: I use bay leaves, basil, fresh thyme, and some chopped parsley for topping the ragù with before serving.
- Parmesan Rind: The rind is the portion of the parmesan’s protective outer layer. I save this portion every time I buy a block of parmesan cheese in a baggie in my freezer for soups, stocks, and homemade ragù!
- Seasonings: we’ll need a good bit of salt, sugar, and some red pepper flakes to season the sauce with.
What is Fond?
Fond is the stuff that sticks to your pan once you’ve browned the meat. Deglazing is the technique where an acidic element (such as stock, broth, wine, or vinegar) is added to pick up all the browned bits left in a pan. You can use the fond to make a sauce once you introduce liquids to the pan.
How to make the best braised beef ragu
- Season and develop flavor. The first step is to cut the chuck roast down into pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper and sear the meat in a large cast-iron skillet until caramelized and seared on all sides. Then, remove the meat to a plate and saute the onions and garlic until they pick up all that delicious fond left behind by the meat. We’ll saute the tomato paste in the oil to help bloom the flavors and then deglaze the pan with broth to cream the base of this ragù.
- Simmer. Once the pan has been deglazed, we’ll add balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, parmesan rind, bay leaves, fresh thyme, basil, sugar, red pepper flakes, place the seared meat back in the dutch oven, and allow the sauce to gain a simmer. Cover and let it cook on the lowest setting until the meat easily shreds with two forks. I usually shred the meat and then let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes to soak up more flavor. Feel free to skim any excess fat off the top. We always serve it warm over a bed of pappardelle.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Weeknight Instant Pot Risotto
- Spicy Shrimp Pasta
- Chocolate Caprese Cake
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Roasted Garlic Italian Couscous Salad
- Eggs in Purgatory
- Homemade Minestrone Soup
- Warm & Cozy Italian Meatball Soup
Weekend Braised Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 – 2½ pounds chuck roast or boneless short ribs, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 6-8 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 1¼ cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- parmesan rind optional
- 2 bay leaves + a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- a large bunch of basil a handful or so, no need to be exact
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For serving pappardelle parsley, and parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- SEAR: Season the chuck roast pieces with salt and pepper all over. Heat the oil in a large, dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the beef into the pot and allow it to sear on each side for roughly 5-7 minutes or until browned, remove the beef to a plate.
- AROMATICS: Add another drizzle of oil if the pan needs it. Saute the onions for 4-5 minutes or until translucent, stirring as needed so that they don't burn. Add the garlic and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and allow it to cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
Stove Top:
- Deglaze the pan with beef broth. Scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen anything that might be stuck on. Add the balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, parmesan rind, bay leaves, fresh thyme, basil, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Allow the sauce to gain a simmer, stir once.
- Cover and lower the heat to the lowest setting and let cook for 2 ½ – 5 hours or until the meat easily shreds with two forks. You may need to add a splash of water or broth if too much evaporates or if your beef is taking longer to cook. Mine took about 3 hours to get the meat to just fall apart. I shredded the beef and then let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes in the sauce. Season with salt to taste. Feel free to skim any excess fat off the top and remove the parmesan rind, bay leaves, and basil leaves before serving.
- Serve over pappardelle with a sprinkle of parsley and freshly grated parmesan.
Slow Cooker:
- Transfer the meat, sauteed onions, garlic, and tomato mixture to a slow cooker. Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except those for serving.)
- Cover and let cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours. Check for doneness around 6 hours, using two forks to shred the meat. You'll know it's done when it falls apart easily. Season with salt to taste. Feel free to skim any excess fat off the top and remove the parmesan rind, bay leaves, and basil leaves before serving.
- Serve over pappardelle with a sprinkle of parsley and freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- Beef: You can also use eye of round roast in this recipe, however, I do find that it takes close to 6 hours for the meat to be fall-apart tender. You’ll also need to check the liquid around the 4th hour and add more stock/water. Also, cooking times may vary if using grass-fed/organic beef.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Hello – could you add short ribs into the recipe with the chuck steak? Would it cook ok together?
Thanks!
Sean
I know you asked this question ages ago but yes I have used beef short ribs. You may have to skim extra grease from the ribs. I used boneless beef short ribs just for the ease of not having to remove bones.
Fantastic! I have made this several times and have added this recipe to my “Go to” list. Easy, delicious, and comforting. I use chuck roast or boneless beef short ribs.
Sounds amazing.
Will try adding chopped celery and carrots. Also will try searing the beef with red wine.
Great recipe as is. Hope the family will enjoy my personal taste modifications.
What would be a good substitute for the diced tomatoes? I have family members that do not like chunks of tomato in dishes.
I mean…it’s a “red sauce” dish – literally a tomato base. But, if your family members are only fussy about the texture, pass the tomatoes through a sieve first? Or puree and then add to the main dish?
Made it four times now — it has become our favorite pasta sauce. Such a solid recipe and makes amazing leftovers.
This is definitely a family favorite!
I love it because it’s insanely easy and the leftovers are even better! I always think I’ll freeze the leftovers, but they are always gone within a few days.
Hi, this looks great. Quick question… Do you slow cook on the stove for 3-5 hours and then move to the slow cooker for another 8 hours? or is it either / or?
My lovely wife and I celebrated our 30th this summer. Part of the event had us dining at a great Italian restaurant I hadn’t been to in years. I had the carbonara – who can resist? – she the beef ragu with pappardelle. I had a taste of her dish and was blown away.
I had to give it a go at home. Looked through a number of recipes until I saw what worked in my head. The key was your adherence to a solid foundation, the balsamic, and the rind.
Made your recipe today. Didn’t stray from it other than using two 28oz cans of whole tomatoes that I puréed and the entire small can of tomato paste. After throwing everything in the pot, and having a smell of the raw ingredients, I turned to my visiting eldest daughter and said, “It’s right”.
It simmered all afternoon and filled the house with wonderful aromas.
Well, it didn’t turn out good. No. Not even close. It turned out f*****g great! Outstandingly delicious. Totally nailed the experience from this summer and everyone loved it.
You put together an excellent recipe. Thank you.
Forgot to include the five-star rating!
Simply amazing! I made this last night for my wife’s birthday. We were together with my kids and grandkids. Naturally, the 10 year old grandkids didn’t think they’d like it so my daughter made chicken patties for them! (Yuck! ) Well, after seeing how everybody in the family raved about this dish they decided to try it and, low and behold, no need for chicken patties!
Thank for the recipe.
Delicious!
This recipe was easy to make and delicious. Love the addition of parmesan and balsamic. I also added diced celery and carrot to up the veggie content and teenage son has just had 4th bowl! A definite addition to weekly winter menu. Thanks
Making this now to cook for a few hours and smells amazing!! I dont have the papperdelle pasta so if i use penne would that work okay? First time Making beef ragu. Been wanting to make it for a while now
Hi Heather! Yes penne will work in a pinch!
Absolutely delicious, even better the next day. I will make this over and over again. It is company quality and easy. I made it with creamy, cheesy polenta. The best.
Hi Carol! That’s awesome – love that you served this over cheesy polenta; that sounds delicious! Appreciate you circling back to leave a review 🙂
This was absolutely delicious!! Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. I didn’t have any parmesan rind, so that was left out. I hope to get it for next time. I did add another teaspoon of sugar – I liked the extra flavor.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Susan! I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed it. I’ve made it several times without the Parmesan as well – no biggie at all, still delicious that way too. Appreciate you circling back to leave a review 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! There is a restaurant in Asbury Park Nj that has, bar none the best Bolognese sauce and this looks close. Whipped mascarpone is served on top. all your recipes are incredible. Keep em coming!
Hi Kathy! Whipped mascarpone, a dollop of ricotta, fresh burrata would all be excellent additions to this recipe! Hope you love it if you give it a try 🙂
OMG, this looks incredible, can’t wait to try it… I can’t believe nobody asked though, where did you get those really cute shallow pasta bowls? I love them!!
This dish looks simply amazing. The perfect comfort food needed for a Monday. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Yummy, but not spectacular. Mine was a bit tart & sour. Maybe more sugar next time!
Appreciate you leaving a comment, Angela! To balance the tart/sour flavor, I suggest adding a pinch of baking soda in. I suspect it may have been the tomato products, the baking soda would help cut that tartness 🙂
Sorry for taking this off topic but, is that “baking soda trick” in general for tomato products? Like spaghetti, chili etc?
Thank you
Hi there! The baking soda trick works for most tomato based sauces (liked ragu, bolognese, arrabbiata etc.) or heavily tomato based recipes (such as chili) hope that helps!
Hi – This is one of my favorite recipes – thank you so much for sharing it. I usually make it with dried basil, but want to use the fresh basil for a change, as we are having friends around for dinner. Should I chop it up before adding? Or do you leave it whole and fish it out with the bay leaf and thyme? thanks in advance
I’d just tear the leaves with my hands into small pieces rather than chopping, it’ll blend right into the sauce and make it nice and fragrant! 🙂
How much dry basil do you use?
Really turned out AMAZING!!! Since there are only 2 of us, we decided to freeze the rest, for future meals, portioning them out. We were able to get an additional 4 meals out of a 3 1/2 # Roast. It was so simple, to take out and then boil the noodles.
Thank you, so very much!!!!