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Braised Beef Ragu

This is an amazing twist on a classic meat sauce. This is not a bolognese sauce with ground meat, it is a slow cooked meat sauce that is rich and thick and amazing with egg noodles. I served it with Pappardelle pasta and it was perfect.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/3 lbs chuck roast
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 small white onion
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed and diced
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp beef stock if not using homemade, use low sodium
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes San Marzano recommended
  • 1 28oz can diced tomatoes San Marzano recommended
  • 3 Sprigs Fresh thyme
  • 1 small bunch Fresh basil
  • 1 each bay leaf
  • 1 small bunch Fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium or large dutch oven. Season your chuck roast heavily with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Sear both sides of the meat in the olive oil until you get a nice brown crust on both sides. It will take about 6-8 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the pan and set it on a plate for now.
  • Once you remove the beef from the pan, add the diced onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. This will only take about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add in the can of the tomato paste. Let the tomato paste slightly begin to brown on the bottom of the pan, but not burn.
  • Deglaze the pan with the beef broth. Then mix the additional 2 tablespoons of beef broth with the balsamic vinegar,(surprise ingredient). Add this mixture to the pan and cook with the stock and tomato paste for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened.
  • Add in the fresh herbs, crushed and diced tomatoes and check for seasoning. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Stir together.
  • At this point, add the beef and any remaining drippings back into the pot. Cover with the cover slightly off and let simmer for about 3-4 hours or until the beef is tender enough to pull apart with two forks.
  • Once the beef is tender enough to pull apart, after about 3 1/2 hours or so, pull the meat out and pull out all of the herbs. Shred the beef completely with two fork and add it back into the sauce. Check for seasoning once again. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if needed.
  • Keep the sauce simmering until the pasta is cooked. Serve over the pasta immediately and ENJOY!!! I recommend Pappardelle pasta for this or homemade noodles. This is even better the next day and you can save any for leftovers later in the week.