Beef Ragu Recipe

4.50 from 6 votes

Rich, fall-apart tender Beef Ragu Recipe is a dish the whole family will love so much, they're sure to want seconds.

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beef ragu, beef ragu recipe, slow cooker beef ragu, slow cooker ragu

Servings:

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Isabel Laessig

Equipment

Slow cooker

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef brisket cut into quarters
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic crushed
1 ½ cups onion finely chopped
3 stalks celery finely chopped
2 medium carrots grated
½ cup red wine good quality, not sweet
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups tomato puree
¾ cup beef stock
1 tablespoon heaping dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 dried bay leaves
½ cup whole milk

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Instructions

Cut boneless beef brisket into quarters.
3 pounds boneless beef brisket
Season brisket with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add brisket and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until browned all over. Place the beef in the slow cooker.
3 pounds boneless beef brisket, 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Without cleaning the saucepan, add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute and stir until soft, around 5 minutes.
1 clove garlic, 1 ½ cups onion, 3 stalks celery, 2 medium carrots
Add wine and continue to saute until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 1 minute). Add tomato paste, tomato puree, and beef stock. Stir and bring to a simmer.
½ cup red wine, ⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 ½ cups tomato puree, ¾ cup beef stock
Mix in oregano, sugar, pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Slowly add milk while stirring to combine.
1 tablespoon, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 dried bay leaves, ½ cup whole milk
Pour the mixture from the pan over the beef in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every so often. It's ready when the beef shreds easily with a fork.
Remove the meat to a cutting board and use 2 forks to pull it apart. Return it to the slow cooker and mix it well with the sauce.
Boil a large pot of water. Season with salt, then add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta to the ragu in the slow cooker and toss to coat. Stir in reserved patsa water by the Tablespoon if the sauce needs more liquid. Serve with grated parmesan and parsley, and enjoy!

Notes

Cut your beef roast into 4 pieces. This will help the beef become more tender.
You can use any kind of pasta you like, but pappardelle is perfect for pairing with beef ragu. A pasta that holds up to a heavy sauce well works best.
Chuck roast, or another type of pot roast cut of beef, could also be used to make beef ragu.
If you don't have red wine, you could use more beef stock in place of the wine. The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious.
I recommend using whole milk, but you can also use half & half if you prefer. Heavy cream would change the consistency of the sauce.

Nutrition