Pork, beef & lamb· GF · DF

Shredded Beef Ragu

Name: Shredded Beef Ragu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h 25 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 700g beef joint (topside, silverside or brisket); 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes; 150ml red wine; 150g onion, finely diced; 150g carrot, finely diced; 100g (2 sticks) celery, finely diced; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 30g tomato purée; 5g sugar; 2 sprigs rosemary; 2 leaves bay; 15ml olive oil; 1 cube beef stock cube; 200ml water

A joint slow-cooked in red wine, tomato and rosemary until it falls apart into a rich, chunky ragu.

makes 22 blocks, about 50p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/shredded-beef-ragu/

Illustration of a bowl of Shredded Beef Ragu

Time: 3 hr 40 min15 min prep · 3 hr 25 min cook
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 50p
Calories per blockCalories: 78 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

700gbeef joint (topside, silverside or brisket)
2 × 400g tinschopped tomatoes
150mlred wine
150gonion, finely diced
150gcarrot, finely diced
100g (2 sticks)celery, finely diced
4 cloves (20g)garlic
30gtomato purée
5gsugar
2 sprigsrosemary
2 leavesbay
15mlolive oil
1 cubebeef stock cube
200mlwater

Allergens: Celery, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Pappardelle with parmesan · Soft polenta · Gnocchi baked under mozzarella

Method

Step 1: Cut the joint into 4 pieces, season and brown all over in the oil. Lift out. (10 min)
Step 2: Soften the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes, then the garlic and purée for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Pour in the wine and bubble for 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes, stock, sugar, rosemary and bay.
Step 4: Return the beef, cover and simmer very gently, or cook at 150°C fan, until it falls apart. (3 hr)
Step 5: Shred the beef into the sauce, remove the stalks and bay, and simmer uncovered until thick. (20 min) Cool and freeze.

Hotter: add 1 tsp chilli flakes with the garlic, or 'nduja at the end.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	78	7.4g	3.8g	3g	0.8g	0.26g
Per 3 blocks	234	22.2g	11.4g	9g	2.4g	0.78g

Cook’s notes

Chunkier and richer than the Classic Bolognese; brisket makes it silkiest.
Drop a parmesan rind into the simmer for extra depth.
Slow cooker: 8 hours on Low after browning.

Serve it

Pappardelle with parmesan · Soft polenta · Gnocchi baked under mozzarella.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 234 kcal and 22.2g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Shredded Beef Ragu questions

Can I use diced braising steak instead of a joint?

Diced braising steak or chuck works well and shreds just as easily. Skip cutting it into pieces and brown it in batches so it colours rather than steams.

Can I leave out the wine?

Use the same amount of extra water instead, with a splash of balsamic vinegar to add back a little sharpness.

How do I know when the beef is ready?

It should pull apart easily with two forks. If it still resists, give it another 20 to 30 minutes covered and check again.