Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle

Name: Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 400ml Beef Stock; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Celery Stick, finely diced; 20g Butter, cold and cubed; 4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Tomato Puree; 20g Parmesan, grated; 0.5 tsp Caster Sugar; 400g Pappardelle; 800g Beef Shin, or oxtail; 4 sprigs Thyme; 1 Tin Chopped tomatoes; Maldon salt, to taste; 1 Onion, finely diced; 1 Carrot, finely diced; 190ml Red Wine, approx

20m prep time

140m total time

Medium level

16 ingredients

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.