Servings<\/span>4<\/p>servings<\/span><\/div><\/span>Prep time<\/span>30<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div><\/span>Cooking time<\/span>40<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div><\/span>Calories<\/span>300<\/p>kcal<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Ingredients<\/h3>- <\/span>
1.2kg \/ 2.5 lb chuck beef <\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
1 tbsp salt<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
Black pepper<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
3 tbsp olive oil , separated<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
3 cloves garlic , minced<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
1 onion , diced<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
1 cup carrots , diced (Note 2)<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
1 cup celery , diced (Note 2)<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
800g \/ 28oz crushed canned tomatoes<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
3 tbsp tomato paste<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (Note 3)<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
1 cup \/ 250ml red wine , full bodied (like merlot, cabernet sauvignon), or sub with beef broth\/stock<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
1 1\/2 cups \/ 375 ml water (Note 3)<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
3\/4 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme<\/span><\/p><\/li>- <\/span>
3 dried bay leaves<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/div>Directions<\/h3>- Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper<\/li>
- Sear Beef: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 – 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.<\/li>
- Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.<\/li>
- Soffrito: Add garlic and onion and saut\u00e9 for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and saut\u00e9 slowly for 5 minutes.<\/li>
- Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot (including pooled juices). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it’s bubbling very very gently. (Note 7)<\/li>
- Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 5 for slow cooker and pressure cooker).<\/li>
- Shred: Remove beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened – beef will soften slightly more during this step.<\/li>
- Final season: Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. ALSO, add 1\/2 tsp sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste (Note 6). Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve (it’s even better the next day and freezes well for months!).<\/li><\/ul><\/div>