The Italian word ‘Ragù’ means a meaty sauce for pasta. This beef shin version is an amazing way to make a rich sauce that is fullof flavour using a very economical cut. The meltingly tender chunks of meat add a great texture. It’s easy to whip up a quick meal on a week night, or you can use the slow cooker for the ragù during the day.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Serves: 4

Ingredients
800g Quality Mark beef shin
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped (or use 2 teaspoons dried)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 cup red wine or beef stock
2 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf

Method

    1. Preheat oven to 150oC or prepare slow cooker.
    2. Season the beef with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan over a very high heat and sear the beef.
    3. Set the beef aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and a dash of oil to the pan and cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and oregano for about 7-9 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
    4. Add the anchovies and tomato paste and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
    5. Add the wine, turn up the heat and let it bubble for 1 minute.
    6. Add the stock and the bay leaf.
    7. Transfer everything to a covered casserole dish or slow cooker.
    8. Bake in the oven or slow cooker for 4 hours, stirring a couple of times to ensure the beef stays mostly covered with liquid.

To Serve

Remove the meat with tongs and place on a board. Discard the bones and pull the beef into chunks with two forks. If necessary, you can simmer the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop to reduce and thicken it. Add the meat back into the sauce, taste and season as required. Spoon the meat sauce onto the hot pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.