Rich Beef Shin Ragu with Red Wine

Rich Beef Shin Ragu with Red Wine is cooked low and slow for maximum flavour. Upgrade your bolognese by serving this decadent yet simple to prepare dish with Pappardelle pasta or creamy polenta.

I love a good Ragu when the weather gets colder – it is perfect comfort food. Rich and indulgent, ragu is a rustic dish which still feels decadent and a little bit fancy. I always feel a slow cooked meal such as ragu, which gets tended and nurtured as it cooks over a cold afternoon, is like serving a bowl full of love.

If you want more comforting ragu recipes then some of my favourites include Sausage and Mushroom Ragu, Slow Cooked Aubergine Ragu and Beef and Mushroom Ragu.

Slow Cooked Beef Ragu

This Rich Beef Shin Ragu with Red Wine is one of my favourite dinners on a wintery weekend. It’s rich and indulgent, and feels a little bit fancy. And though it takes a bit longer to cook, the prep is very simple and most of the cook time is very hands off.

Beef Shin Ragu is also a great meal for entertaining, as you can do all the hard work well in advance. The ragu even gets better if left overnight. And you can easily feed a crowd – one batch will sauce a standard 500g bag of pasta to feed 6 people and the recipe is easily doubled.

Ragu with Beef Shin

Beef Shin tends to be one of those cheaper cuts of beef which people avoid because they assume it will be tough and gristly. But if you know the right way to cook it, beef shin can be used to make some really delicious and flavourful dishes.

Beef shin, sometimes called beef shank, is from the front leg of the cow. It’s a tough meat, thanks to all the connective tissues as it is a muscly, well-used area. But cooking the beef shin low and slow helps to break down these fibres. This cooking method creates a beautiful, unctuous and gelatinous sauce, brimming with flavour.

Ingredients

Beef Shin – you can use any cut of beef good for slow cooking like chuck, skirt or braising steak. 

Red Wine – Any red wine you like to drink is usually fine. I typically would use whatever I plan to serve with the meal but you cannot go wrong with a Merlot. You can replace the wine with extra stock, though the ragu will not be as rich.  

Chopped tomatoes – or diced tomatoes. Get the best quality you can reasonably afford. I love Cirio.

Onion, Carrot and Celery – The soffritto for the base of the ragu. You can chop by hand if you like a chunky ragu or use a food processor if you prefer a fine sauce.

Garlic, rosemary, bay leaves and tomato puree/paste – to add in additional flavour. Fresh rosemary works best but you can substitute a teaspoon of dried.

Beef Stock – I use one stock cube with 300ml water, but use homemade if you have it.

Parmesan – A little grated parmesan stirred into ragu at the end of cooking is the secret ingredient for a deeply rich and delicious sauce. Pecorino or Grana Padano are good alternatives.

Pasta – for serving. I love pappardelle with ragu but most shapes work well.

Serving

I love this rich beef ragu best when it’s wrapped around some al dente pappardelle pasta and dusted with parmesan. Garlic bread and a green salad are the perfect accompaniments.

Beef Shin Ragu can also be served over some creamy polenta, or as more of a stew with steamed greens and potato or crusty bread. Basically, all you need is a good carb to help soak up that lovely sauce.

Storing

Beef ragu freezes really well – portion it out to reusable food-safe tubs or bags to freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat on the hob or microwave – add a splash of water to loosen the sauce (pasta water works best if that’s what you’re serving it with).

Store ragu covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze as above. Reheat on the hob or microwave and add a dash of water (or pasta water).

More Easy but Impressive Pasta Dishes:

• Gochujang Vodka Rigatoni
• Tomato, Basil and Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Sausage and Kale Pasta
• Smoked Salmon and Prawn Linguine

Rich Beef Shin Ragu with Red Wine

Rich Beef Shin Ragu with Red Wine is cooked low and slow for maximum flavour. Upgrade your bolognese by serving this decadent yet simple to prepare dish with Pappardelle pasta or creamy polenta.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Oven Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 488 kcal

Equipment

• shallow casserole dish with a lid
• Sharp Knife
• Chopping Board
• Spatula or wooden spoon
• potato masher or fork

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 500 grams Beef shin - cut in large chunks
• 1 Onion - diced
• 2 Carrots - diced
• 2 ribs Celery - diced
• 200 ml Red wine
• 300 ml Beef stock - from one stock cube
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• 500 grams pappardelle pasta
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese - plus extra for serving

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3/ 330F.
• Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and season generously all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a shallow casserole (one with a lid which is safe to use on the stove and in the oven) over a medium high heat and add the beef. Cook until browned all over – this should take at least 10 minutes. Then remove the beef and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
• Wipe out the excess fat from the pan, add the other tablespoon of oil and lower the heat to medium low. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery plus a pinch of salt and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until softening but not browned.
• Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes, the tomato paste should go a nice dark red and the garlic fragrant.
• Add the rosemary and bay leaves, stir in the tinned tomatoes then pour the wine into the empty tomato can to swill out any excess and pour it all into the pan. Give it a good stir and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Add the beef back in then stir in the stock, season well with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Pop the lid on and transfer to the preheated oven for 2 hours.
• Remove the lid, give everything a good stir then return to the oven uncovered for a further 30 minutes.
• Just before the ragu is ready, cook the pasta according to packet instructions in salted water. Reserve a cup of cooking water when draining.
• Remove the ragu from the oven, remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and gently mash the beef with a potato masher or fork. It should fall apart easily. Sprinkle in two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and stir well to disperse the beef into the sauce.
• Add the cooked pasta and a couple of tablespoons of cooking water and toss everything together. The sauce should be rich and glossy, clinging well to the pasta. Add more cooking water as needed.
• Divide between six bowls and garnish with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Notes

This recipe will sauce 500g of pasta – I recommend Pappardelle or Tagliatelle. 

If making ahead stop at the step where the pasta is added. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months. When reheating for best results loosen the ragu with pasta cooking water. 

This is the shallow casserole dish I use. 

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 25gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 662mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3499IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 3mg

Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and tag me in your pics @carrieskitchen_