Slow-cooked, Italian Beef Cheek Ragú with Pappardelle
Photography by Sarah Tuck.
Let us introduce you to Sarah Tuck's meltingly tender, slow-cooked beef cheek ragù. Serve with just-cooked pappardelle and sprinkle with lashings of Parmesan, of course.
This online-only recipe is from Editor Sarah Tuck's blog Stuck in the Kitchen.
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
4x 550 gram beef cheeks
2 tablespoons olive oil
80 grams pancetta, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2½ cups red wine
1 cup passata
2 teaspoons caster sugar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Hot, cooked pappardelle
oregano leaves, to garnish
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
METHOD
Trim any sinew from the beef cheeks and cut them in half. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and sear the beef cheeks for a few minutes, on all sides, in batches. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Add the pancetta to the pan and cook over a medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, then reduce the heat and add the onions, celery, garlic, rosemary and oregano. Cook for 10 minutes until the onion is softened but not coloured. Add the tomato paste, wine, passata and sugar and stir to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil.
Add to the beef in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours until meltingly tender.
To serve: Shred the beef and add back to the sauce. Serve over the hot pappardelle and top with parmesan and fresh oregano.
Stuck in the Kitchen
Sarah Tuck is a food writer and photographer based in Auckland. For more recipe ideas and cooking inspiration, visit her beautifully photographed blog, Stuck in the Kitchen. To read a little more about her and find out how Stuck in the Kitchen began, click here to read our story on her.
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