INGREDIENTS
1.2kg chuck beef or other slow cooking beef cut (cut into equal 4 pieces)
1 tbsp salt
Black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 onion (diced)
1 cup carrots (diced)
1 cup celery (diced)
800g crushed canned tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 beef bouillon cubes (crumbled)
1 cup red wine (full bodied like merlot, cabernet sauvignon or sub with beef broth/stock)
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 dried bay leaves
To serve (not all sauce is used)
500g dried pappardelle
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
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. Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes. Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot. Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it’s bubbling very very gently.
Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred.
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.
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. Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve.
Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tbsp of salt to the boil. Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the
recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions.
Meanwhile, place 5 cups of the Ragu in a very large fry pan or use 2 normal size fry pans. Heat over high heat while the pasta is cooking. When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs. Add 3/4 cup of pasta water into the fry pan.
Gently toss the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta. Serve immediately with Survivor Pinotage and with plenty of freshly grated parmesan.
Cooks in: 2Hours 50min.
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Moderate
Pairs well with Survivor Pinotage.
