Slow Cooked Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle
Today we’re embracing the magic of slow-cooking and savouring the rich flavours of Slow Cooked Beef Shin Ragu paired with the elegance of pappardelle pasta. This dish is a celebration of one of the best and traditional cooking methods and the joy of creating a meal that warms both the kitchen and the soul.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (for beef)
- Large saucepan (for pasta)
Ingredients
BEEF RAGU
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1kg gravy beef whole shin (or use 1kg of other slow cooking beef cuts - See Notes 2 & 3)
- 30g butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 anchovies in oil, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 800g can finely diced tomatoes (See Note 4)
- 3 cups prepared beef stock (ready prepared liquid or made from stock cubes)
- 1-2 teaspoons caster sugar (See Note 5)
- 500g dried pappardelle pasta (or 600g fresh - See Note 6)
TO SERVE (Optional)
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley or basil leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150℃ (130℃ fan forced). Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Brown the beef all over, really well until it has a good sear and colour on it. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil along with the butter. Add the onion, celery, carrot and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 7-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the garlic, oregano and bay leaf, cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes then add the anchovies and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium high and pour in the wine. Allow it to deglaze and bubble up for 1 minute before returning the beef (and any juices) along with the tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to the boil then cover with the lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3hr - 3.5 hrs, stirring a couple of times throughout cooking, until the the beef is very tender and can pull apart (you should be able to easily break apart with a spoon).
- Once beef is tender, remove the beef from the pan using tongs and set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, shed the meat with a spoon or 2 forks. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, return the pan to a medium high heat on the stove and simmer the sauce rapidly, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until reduced and thickened slightly.
- While the sauce is reducing, cook the pasta according to packet directions in a large saucepan of boiling salted water.
- Once the sauce has reduced, return the beef to the pan and season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar, if you think it needs it.
- Using tongs, directly add the pasta from the cooking water to the beef sauce and toss gently to combine. (You can also drain the pasta over a colander, reserving some of the cooking liquid to add the beef sauce if required to thin it slightly).
- Divide pasta and sauce between serving plates. Garnish with parmesan cheese and roughly chopped herbs of your choice. Serve with your choice of sides if desired. (See notes in post above for serving suggestions)
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - GRAVY BEEF WHOLE SHIN CUT
This particular cut is available at Coles Supermarket. It is 2 whole shin tendons with the sinew intact. Leave the sinew on as it will break down as it cooks and become very tender allowing the meat to pull apart. - OTHER CUTS OF BEEF
See notes above in post for detailed information on suitable cuts.
If using regular style gravy beef or osso bucco cuts leave in whole pieces. If using chuck steak, cut into large chunks. The beef won't take quite as long to cook though as the whole shin, so start testing the beef for tenderness around the 2 hour mark. Chuck may take a little longer. Just make sure it is tender enough to pull apart before removing it from the sauce. - DICED TOMATOES
I love the Mutti brand of tomatoes although they are more expensive. I buy them when on special and stock up. I find they have the best flavour by far for canned tomatoes but any diced or crushed tomatoes will do. Use 2 x 400g cans or an 800g can. Please note that if using the Mutti large can of finely chopped tomatoes, it comes in a 790g can.
Depending on the acidic of the tomatoes in which you use, you may need to add sugar to round it out. Cheaper style tomatoes tend to be more acidic and will definitely need the sugar added. - SUGAR
The sweetness of canned tomatoes will depend on the brand you use. Typically more expensive tomatoes equals sweeter tasting. Adding a touch of sugar can adjust the acidity of the tomatoes, especially if using a cheaper variety. Adjust the sweetness of your sauce by adding a little sugar, 1/2 tsp at a time until it suits your taste. - PAPPARDELLE PASTA
It’s good to use a wide pasta like pappardelle for chunky sauces like this - if you can’t find it dried, you can buy fresh lasagne sheets and cut them into 2-3cm strips – bingo, homemade pappardelle! You can also use tagliatelle or fettuccine or your favourite pasta shape. You can also use homemade pasta dough and cut into wide strips.
Make sure you toss the pasta well in the ragu sauce before serving. This is very important to make the ragu stick to the pasta.