Succulent and tender beef, a savory sauce, and oodles of noodles – what’s to not love about this Braised Beef Cheek Ragu? Topped with a dollop of ricotta and loads of recent Parmesan, this superb dish is so flavorful you’re certain to find it irresistible!
I like this dish. As a lot as I like grilling and smoking and cooking open air, the climate doesn’t at all times cooperate, and with a cooked-low-and-slow dish like this, I can nonetheless take pleasure in massive and daring flavors made within the kitchen. Plus, it’s a completely scrumptious dish that I look ahead to making repeatedly!
This dish is a labor of affection; it’s not a fast repair. However the outcomes are oh-so-worth-it! Succulent and tender slow-cooked beef cheeks, al dente noodles, and taste by means of and thru makes this considered one of my favourite Italian pastas. When you don’t take care of pasta or need a gluten-free different, pair this ragu with buttery mashed potatoes.
What Are Beef Cheeks?
The star of this Beef Cheek Ragu recipe is beef cheeks. Beef cheeks are a specialty lower, and they’re actually the facial cheeks of a cow or ox. It’s a closely used muscle, so there’s numerous powerful sinew. However, while you prepare dinner them slowly in liquid – braise them – they turn out to be tender and scrumptious.
You’ll have to get beef cheeks out of your native butcher and name them forward of time as a result of most butchers don’t inventory them, however they’ll be completely satisfied to deliver them in for you.
What Is A Ragu?
Ragu vs Bolognese – what’s the distinction? First, a ragu is a stew – an Italian stew. Bolognese CAN be a ragu, however a ragu is just not a Bolognese. There are some important variations:
- Ragus are meat-based with a small quantity of sauce, Bolognese is sauce-based.
- Ragu has extra meat, usually bigger chunks, than a Bolognese.
- Each ragu and Bolognese characteristic a sofrito, a mix of minced carrot, celery, onion, and generally pancetta, however a ragu sometimes has extra soffritto than a Bolognese.
- There are a whole lot of variations of each ragus and Bolognese sauces.
What Form of Meat is in Ragu?
Ragus may be made with numerous cuts of beef, pork, goose, lamb, mutton, and even seafood.
What You Want To Make Braised Beef Cheek Ragu
There are a good variety of substances on this beef cheeks recipe, however aside from the meat cheeks themselves, most are generally accessible. Don’t neglect in regards to the delish garnishes – every provides taste and texture to the meat cheek stew remodeling it from easy peasant fare to one thing worthy of the best Italian eating places.
For the braised beef cheeks:
- Beef cheeks – You’ll want about 2 kilos. Organize them forward of time out of your butcher.
- Salt – Any coarse salt will do.
- Olive oil – Or use your favourite cooking oil.
- Onion – Recent yellow or white onions.
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic – Recent garlic is important.
- Pink pepper flakes – Provides a little bit of spice.
- GirlCarnivore Over Straightforward – shiny herbaceous mix
- GirlCarnivore Ooomami – provides wealthy umami depth
- Tomato paste – To assist construct taste.
- Pink wine – Use your favourite consuming wine.
- Crushed tomatoes – One giant 28-ounce can.
- Beef broth – Use low or no-sodium added beef broth or beef inventory.
- Rosemary – Recent sprigs.
- Thyme – Recent sprigs.
- Bay leaves – Dried is ok.
- Black pepper – Freshly floor.
For the pasta:
- Pappardelle pasta – I like utilizing recent pasta, however for those who can’t discover that, any skinny however vast noodle will work.
Garnishes:
- Parmesan – Freshly grated or shredded.
- Ricotta – Easy and creamy, this provides a stunning taste to the dish.
- Rosemary – A sprinkle of freshly chopped rosemary accentuates the herbs within the ragu.
- Parsley – Recent parsley provides a pop of taste and shade.
- Black pepper – Coarsely floor black pepper is a should to complete this dish.
Methods to Make Beef Cheeks Ragu
Seize your Dutch oven (a heavy-bottomed pot with lid that may go from stove-top to oven), and your substances – however begin this dish earlier within the day as a result of it does take just a few hours to braise within the oven.
Preheat your Dutch oven over medium-high warmth and add the oil.
Season the meat cheeks with salt and sear till browned. Put aside.
Preheat the oven to 325-F.
Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven and season with salt. Saute till delicate, then add the garlic, purple pepper flakes, and tomato paste.
Deglaze with the purple wine, flip off the warmth, and add the crushed tomatoes.
Nestle the seared beef cheeks (and any juices) into the Dutch oven.
Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs collectively, then add them, and the bay leaves to the pot.
Cowl and prepare dinner within the oven for two.5-3 hours, stirring midway by means of.
Take away the tied herbs and beef cheeks. Shred the meat, then return the shredded meat to the sauce and blend nicely.
Boil the pasta in line with the instructions on the package deal, saving a few of the cooking liquid.
Add the ragu sauce to a big skillet and toss within the cooked pasta and a few of the pasta water, tossing nicely to mix. Simmer over medium warmth till thickened. Alter the salt and pepper and serve instantly.
Serve the scrumptious Beef Cheeks Ragu with recent ricotta, grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly floor black pepper. Sprinkle the herbs on prime of the wealthy sauce, and revel in!
Recipe Ideas
- The great thing about braised dishes is that there’s not a lot to do as soon as it’s within the oven! Stir this beef ragu midway by means of the cooking time and add extra beef broth if the sauce turns into too dry. You need it saucy!
- Canned tomatoes may be acidic. Add as much as 1 teaspoon of sugar for those who really feel the sauce is just too acidic.
- Methods to inform when beef cheeks are cooked? After they’re fall-apart meltingly tender. They need to shred simply with meat claws or two forks.
- Don’t overcook the pasta! Boil it till it’s fairly al dente – it’ll end cooking within the pan with the ragu.
- Don’t neglect to garnish with the finely chopped recent herbs – they add such superb taste.
Storage Directions
Retailer any leftover ragu in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days. You can too freeze any leftovers. Package deal this beef cheek dish in hermetic freezer-safe containers and freeze them for as much as 3 months.
Extra braised recipes
Braised Beef Cheef Ragu
Relating to superb deep flavors, tender beef, and a traditional pasta dish, this slowly braised beef cheek ragu recipe is ideal. This dish is ideal for entertaining with firm or a romantic evening in. Pair with a glass of purple wine and revel in.
Servings: 8
Energy: 519kcal
Components
For the braised beef cheeks:
Directions
Sear the meat cheeks
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Preheat a dutch oven over medium excessive warmth
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Add oil and let preheat
2 tablespoon Oil
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Pat beef cheeks dry
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Season with salt
2 lbs beef cheeks, 1 tablespoon Salt
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Sear till browned 3 to five minutes
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Put aside
Prep the veggies (soffritto)
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Preheat the oven to 325
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Add the onion, carrot and celery.
1 Onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery
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Season with a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon Salt
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Saute 5 to 7 minutes till delicate
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Add the garlic, prepare dinner 30 seconds longer.
3 Garlic cloves
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Stir within the purple pepper flakes, GirlCarnivore Over Straightforward, Oomami, and tomato paste to coat
1 teaspoon Pink pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon Woman Carnivore Over Straightforward, 1 tablespoon Woman Carnivore Ooomami, 2 tablespoon tomato paste
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Deglaze the pan with the purple wine sauce, scraping the underside and browned bits as wanted with a wood spoon.
½ cup Pink wine
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Take away from warmth.
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Add the crushed tomatoes and beef cheeks and stir to mix.
28 oz can crushed tomatoes, ½ to 1 cup beef broth
Braise the meat cheeks
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Nestle the meat cheeks, and any collected juices again into the dutchoven
2 lbs beef cheeks
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Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs collectively
4 Rosemary, 6 to eight Thyme
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Add the herbs to the pot and the bay leaves.
2 Bay leaves
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Cowl and place within the oven for two ½ to three hours, stirring as soon as midway by means of till the meat shreds simply with a fork.
Shred
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Rigorously take away the Dutch oven from the oven and the meat cheeks, herbs and bay leaves from the pot.
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Place in a bowl and shred the meat with two forks.
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Return the shredded beef to the ragu and stir to mix.
Make the pasta
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Boil the pasta in line with the package deal instructions for al dente noodles.
16 oz Pappardelle pasta
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Drain, retaining 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
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In a clear Dutch oven or giant skillet over medium low warmth, add a number of cups of the ragu sauce and toss within the pasta to coat.
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Add 1 / 4 cup to half cup of the pasta liquid and proceed to toss the pasta to coat.
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Permit the sauce to thicken and follow the pasta.
Serve
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Organize the pasta on particular person plates with a dollop of recent ricotta on prime to soften in. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over prime and season with black pepper.
Recent parmesan, Ricotta, Floor black pepper
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Add a light-weight contact of recent rosemary, if desired for a aromatic natural contact.
Rosemary
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Garnish with freshly minced parsley.
Parsley
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Serve sizzling.
Notes
The GirlCarnivore Over Straightforward is a shiny herbaceous mix that balances nicely on this, use a generic Italian mix in its place.
The GirlCarnivore Ooomami is an umami mushroom powder that deepens the richness.
While you examine the meat midway by means of the braising course of, it’s possible you’ll wish to add extra beef broth for those who really feel the sauce is turning into too dry.
Diet
Diet Info
Braised Beef Cheef Ragu
Quantity Per Serving (1 g)
Energy 519
Energy from Fats 180
% Each day Worth*
Fats 20g31%
Saturated Fats 7g44%
Trans Fats 1g
Polyunsaturated Fats 3g
Monounsaturated Fats 10g
Ldl cholesterol 126mg42%
Sodium 1210mg53%
Potassium 955mg27%
Carbohydrates 53g18%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 1738IU35%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 102mg10%
Iron 6mg33%
* P.c Each day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie food regimen. Diet info offered is an estimate. For particular well being issues, please put the recipe into your Dr advisable vitamin calculator.
