Slow-Cooked Italian Beef Ragù
Rich, rustic and full of heart — made with Jarabin’s grass-fed chuck steak!
Execution: Easy
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking time: 3-4 Hours
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1kg Jarabin grass-fed chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150ml red wine (optional but highly recommended)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 × 400g tin crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock (or water)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
To serve: your favourite pasta (pappardelle, rigatoni or tagliatelle), freshly grated Parmesan, and chopped parsley
How to Prepare:
Sear the beef
Heat olive oil in a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chuck pieces with salt and pepper, then brown them in batches until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Build the flavour base
In the same pot, reduce the heat slightly and add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté for 8–10 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze with wine
Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the caramelised bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the alcohol cooks off.
Simmer low and slow
Add the browned beef back to the pot, along with crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and oregano or thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover partially and cook for 3–4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and easily pulls apart.
Finish and serve
Shred the beef gently with two forks and stir through the sauce. Season to taste.
Serve tossed through pappardelle or spooned over creamy polenta. Finish with Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
The Jarabin Touch
Our 100% grass-fed (and grass finished) chuck steak comes from cattle raised on open pastures along the Murrumbidgee, where they graze naturally and stress-free. The result? Beef that’s rich, tender, and perfect for slow cooking — exactly what an authentic Italian ragù calls for.