Super easy veal ragu
Ok! So looking for recipes to taste, found an old classic! So grabbed my pot and put the ingredients together and got cooking. Ragu is a complex sauce which involves various cooking techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising. As such, it lends itself well to interpretation and adaptation by professional chefs and home cooks alike. Common sources of differences include which meats to use (beef, pork or veal) and their relative quantities, the possible inclusion of cured meats, which fats are used in the sauté phases (rendered pork fat, butter, olive or vegetable oil), what form of tomato is employed (fresh, canned or paste), the makeup of the cooking liquids (wine, milk, tomato juices, or broth) and their specific sequence of addition.
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cups of mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup of cooking wine
- 1 cup of non smoked pancetta — minced very finely
- 2 cans of whole tomatoes with juice included
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of paprika
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until it starts to release its fat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and let evaporate for 5 minutes and then add the beef and carrots, season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon, and cook until it loses its raw color, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, herbs and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes one at a time, crushing them by hand as you go. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce over low heat, covered. For at least 1 hour. Then add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving add the grated cheese.
Happy cooking!
Thanks for coming! Did you make this recipe? Let me know!