Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle
A labour of love; this slow cooked beef ragu is true comfort food. It's just what we feel like on a slow Sunday evening to fuel you for the week ahead. Paired with thick-cut pappardelle pasta which translates to "to gobble up" which is exactly what you'll be doing when a bowl of this unctuous ragu is set down in front of you. Cook in an oven or in a slow cooker, whichever method works best for you.
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Begin by chopping the beef shin into 1 inch chunks, pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt. Set a large casserole pot (with a lid) on a medium heat and pour in the oil. Once hot, start browning the meat. Try to avoid crowding the pan too much as this will slow down the browning process, You may need to do this in batches.
Step 2
While the meat is cooking, prep the veg. Dice the onion, celery, carrot and garlic as finely as possible. You can chop them in a food processor if you’re short on time, just be careful not to chop them into a puree!
Step 3
Once the beef is deeply golden all over, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside. Tip in the chopped onions, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme, add a generous pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Then pour in the wine, using the back of a wooden spoon to scrape up anything stuck to the base of the pan. Once this has been reduced by half, add the tinned tomatoes, stock, caster sugar and some black pepper. Add the browned beef back into the pan. Cover with a lid and leave to gently simmer for 1.5-2 hours either on the hob, in the oven at 170C or in a slow cooker.
Step 5
Use two forks to shred the beef and stir back into the sauce. If the meat is ready, it should shred effortlessly. If it’s slightly resistant, leave it to cook for another 30 mins - 1hr. If the ragu is looking a little watery, cook with the lid off for 10 minutes to thicken it. Season to taste.
Step 6
When you’re ready to serve, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, reserving some of the pasta water.
Step 7
Drain the pasta and mix well with the sauce along with the cold butter and a splash of pasta water to create a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. Serve onto plates, topping with parmesan.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
400ml Beef Stock 1x Sainsbury's Stock Cubes, Beef 10x10g -
1 tbsp Olive Oil 1x Sainsbury's Olive Oil 1L -
1 Celery Stick, finely diced 1x Sainsbury's Celery -
20g Butter, cold and cubed 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
1 Carrot, finely diced 1x Sainsbury’s Carrots Loose -
4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
2 tbsp Tomato Puree 1x Sainsbury's Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate 200g -
20g Parmesan, grated 1x Sainsbury's Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese 200g -
0.5 tsp Caster Sugar 1x Sainsbury's White Caster Sugar 500g -
400g Pappardelle 1x Sainsbury's Pappardelle Pasta, Taste the Difference 500g -
800g Beef Shin, or oxtail 2x Sainsbury's Beef Shin, Taste the Difference -
4 sprigs Thyme 1x Sainsbury's Bunched Thyme 20g -
190ml Red Wine, approx 1x Yellow Tail Shiraz Red Wine 187ml -
1 Onion, finely diced 1x Sainsbury's Onions Loose -
1 Tin Chopped tomatoes 1x Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes 400g -
Maldon salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g