With the colder weather in full swing I’ve been further experimenting with slow braises and casseroles. The above dish is a result from playing around in the kitchen. As I stated in my beef stifado recipe I like to use chuck steak in my casserole cooking. It’s a cheap cut of meat, with a good amount of fat that melts as it is slowly cooked. I buy it in big pieces and cut it accordingly. What I did different this time was to grind it myself using the food processor. I was after a coarse grind but it ended up a little finer than I would have preferred. This dish is traditionally associated with “spaghetti bolognaise” but I can tell you now this recipe or method is nowhere near Bologna. I cooked this in a sealed cast iron pot in the oven for a good three hours on a very gentle heat. Although I did start it off on the stove top for the first half hour. It turned out gloriously rich with beautiful meaty flavours.
As with most slow cooked dishes I like to use a base of finely diced onions or leeks, celery and carrots. I like to fry these off in a combination of olive oil and butter. Adding a little chopped pancetta is a nice flavour enhancer at this point too. The liquid you choose will also vary the flavour of the dish. In this case I used a good quality red wine and some home made beef stock along with some crushed tomatoes. I added some fresh thyme but you could add pretty much anything you wanted. Flat leaf parsley would be a good choice here too. This tasted fantastic the next day and I froze a lot for future use. Always good to have a back up plan in the freezer.
Serve it up with your favourite pasta or use it as a filling for stuffed vegies…I’ll leave that up to you. Just remember to enjoy it with a good red! I know I did!
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, now I’m hungry again! that ragù looks perfect and your shots are fantastic, as always!
Cheers,
Rosa
Interesting approach to ragu. I’ve always done it stove top and never heard of doing it in the oven. I wonder does if it enhances in some way that I’m not aware of?
Joan, it was something I forgot to mention in my post. In my opinion it tastes richer and the sauce is slightly thicker. It’s not necessarily any better just different.
Thanks…that’s what I was thinking. Maybe it’s the confinement of the heat.
Hmmm… it is not very different than ragu here in Bologna, the main one is the cooking method. We use to cook ragu in a pan on a low heat, you used the oven, because we cook the meat a bit (until the surface looks “grey”) with some red wine before adding tomatoes.
The ingredients are slightly different but not too much, for example sausage instead than pancetta. So stop to disguise your Italian heritage, Lol
Ahh I forgot… parsely is never used, thyme neither even if I love to use some fresh one (my ragu recipe is not completely traditional). The traditional one uses some laurel leaves and a couple of cloves.
This sounds delicious Peter – a perfect cold weather comfort food infused with all my favorite flavors! Stay warm!
Mmm…. this sounds soooo good, total comfort food and I love comfort food! But what sounds even better is the cold weather!!! i can’t handle this heat in Chicago! The only comfort food in a Chicago summer is ICE!!!
Chuck really is the best cut for stews and such, and it’s what I use for my Bolognese. It’s so much fun seeing your autumnal dishes coming out!
I love ragu, and yours looks perfect.Did you steam it for how many time?
This looks lovely, Peter, and perfect for a cold, winter’s day.
I love that combination of leeks, celery and carrots in the ragu. I think it’s perfect with pasta.
Peter, I can have a meat ragu on during any of the four seasons…hold one…I’m coming, let me get the garlic bread!
Even though I’m on the other side of the world we’ve had the same ideas this week Peter! I was on a lamb mince cooking spree
That looks delicious and just perfect for a cold winterday (or actually… looks perfect for a warm summerday as well..lol)
I love that old spoon you’re using!
I would eat this ragu 12 months of the year.
I love how you can freeze this for later. I ALWAYS need some back-up plans in the freezer because you never know when you’re going to work late and just not feel like cooking. I would imagine you could do this in a slow cooker too right? I love using my slow cooker since it cuts down on the energy costs and I don’t really have to tend to it.
I love comforting dishes like this Peter. Although as you know summer is only just beginning my favourite time is autumn and everything it has to offer:D
yum love a good ragu. thanks for the suggestion, it looks like a real good comfort food this winter. I love those nights when I just feel like burrow myself on the couch with DVD, red and a bowl of pasta. “Legally Blonde”, “Bring it On”, or “Bridget Jones’ Diary”… decision decision
I love braises, stews etc. in the winter. They have so much flavour and give you this fuzzy and warm feeling inside.
great looking comfort food – something for me to try in a few months time when autumn comes round
That looks delicious and just the ticket for this weather
Lovely photos too!
This looks divine Peter – so rich! I am loving this even though I it is currently hot here!
It sounds absolutely amazing. Anything with pancetta looks good to me. This is so comforting and rich.
So many hours in the oven would certainly bring out the flavour. I love the way it clings to the pasta. Stuffed veggies sounds good in this weather too.
This is perfect for the cold day we have. And how I love the photos!
the beef ragu looks delicious, but my eyes are fixed on that beautiful ladle
That looks devine – with gf pasta for me of course. You are having cold days, mine are scorching hot. It is so interesting to be part of a global community via blogging!
Hmmm… I haven’t made pasta for such a long time. Right now it is all about soup, stew, casserole, and warm pudding. This looks delicious, P. What a cute ladle you’ve got there.
Mmm I love the pasta you used. I bet this ragu was rich, flavorful and extremely delicious.
Definitely one of my favorite comfort foods and I agree about the use of the oven … I too try to make stews and meat sauces in the oven as often as possible. Definitely richer, definitely thicker–definitely my kind of food!
yum.. delicious and comforting food!
You take great photographs are you a photographer too?
I’ve just come off my winter kick of slow cooked stuff, but after seeing this, I’m craving more. I think I need to move to the south pole….
I keep repeating myself but I LOVE your food photographing. You are so talented. What kind of macrolense do you use. I’m in awe!
This ragu sounds really good. Great photos!