Slow cooker beef ragù
This slow cooker brisket ragù with tender beef enveloped in a rich tomato sauce makes the perfect hearty sauce for pasta. The slow cooking makes the beef extra tender and means you can use a cheap cut, such as brisket. Don’t skip the pre-frying as it takes less than 10 minutes and adds an extra layer of flavour. Leftovers freeze brilliantly and can be reheated from frozen, giving you a delicious meal in less than 15 minutes on another day.
Ingredients
- 750g/1lb 10oz beef brisket, braising or stewing steak (see Tip)
- 4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 carrots (around 175g/6oz), peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 100ml/3½fl oz red wine
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 50ml/2fl oz hot beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- freshly cooked wide, flat pasta such as pappardelle or tagliatelle, to serve
- finely grated Parmesan, to serve
Method
Snip off and discard any string or netting from the beef and cut the meat into eight large pieces. Season all over with salt and pepper.
Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a large non-stick frying pan and fry the beef over a medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, turning with tongs until well browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion, celery, carrot and garlic over a medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the wine into the pan and simmer with the vegetables for 20–30 seconds before removing from the heat. Tip the wine and vegetables into a slow cooker and add the tomatoes, tomato purée, stock, herbs and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Add the browned beef to the slow cooker pot along with any resting juices. Stir lightly then cover with a lid and cook on High for 7–8 hours, or until the sauce is looking rich and has deepened in colour and the beef is very tender and falls apart when prodded. Using two forks, shred the beef and mix thoroughly with the tomato sauce. Season with more salt and pepper.
Serve with the pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Recipe Tips
Small rolled brisket joints are widely available and budget friendly, but you can also use large pieces of braising or stewing steak.
Use the best quality chopped tomatoes for a richer flavour, or add ½–1 teaspoon sugar and an extra tablespoon of tomato purée to the slow cooker pot at the beginning if using a value can.
You will need a slow cooker that holds around 4 litres/7 pints for this recipe.