Recipe for stracotto – the most delightful slow-cooked beef ragout
Delicious recipe for beef ragú that is easy to make and practically takes care of itself.
We found the recipe in the book: “Jamie Cooks Italy,” and Jamie Oliver says the following about it:
“A Tuscan family favorite: Think of it as the essence of Bolognese on a large family scale with extra built-in comfort. It is inspired by Nonna Miriam from Panzano, and the simple cooking process gives what she calls a ‘rich dish’ – she compared it to the moment when you know you’re holding a winning hand in poker. The traditional way to enjoy this dish is to serve the hearty sauce with freshly cooked tagliatelle as a primo, and then the rest of the sauce and meat as a secondo with steamed greens, creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or whatever you prefer!”
Ingredients
- 1 kg Beef Sirloin Without sinews
- Olive Oil
- 2 pcs. Red Onion
- 2 pcs. Carrots
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 pcs. fennel
- 15 gram fresh rosemary ½ bunch
- 15 gram Sage Leaves ½ bunch
- 250 gram Red Wine Chianti
- 30 gram Tomato Puree
- 1.5 l Broth Good quality. Either beef or vegetable.
Instructions
- Put the meat into a somewhat tight-fitting braising pot over low-medium heat with 2 tbsp oil, brown it well all over, turning it with kitchen tongs.
- Meanwhile, peel the onions, carrots, and garlic, clean the celery and fennel, and cut everything into large chunks for a soffritto – it will all braise for a long time, so precision isn't necessary.
- Add this to the pot, tie together rosemary and sage, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Continue to cook for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally.
- Turn heat to high, add the wine, stir in the tomato paste, and let the wine evaporate.
- Add the stock, bring to a boil, crumple a double layer of baking paper under the faucet and place it in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is meltingly tender, turning the meat and basting it with the juices occasionally.
- Season carefully with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Lift the meat onto a cutting board, cut it into thin slices, and ladle some of the sauce over it to keep it tender and juicy.
- Toss the remaining sauce (boil it down a bit if needed) with freshly cooked tagliatelle, grate some Parmesan finely over the top, and serve.
- Two dishes for one effort = a guaranteed winner.