beef ragu

Ragu, that heavy veggie full, tomato heavy, cream filled sauce, that isn’t a sauce, and doesn’t need pasta or sauce, ‘cause it can stand on it’s own.

I recommend serving over creamy polenta or grilled cauliflower and leek puree… but, honestly, it doesn’t need anything other than itself to make the perfect meal.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp evoo

1 onion, peeled and diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

6 ribs of celery, diced

2 leeks, outside peeled, core removed and diced

3 lbs of ground beef

4 tsp salt, mixed use

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 clamshell shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 clamshell white button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 clamshell or 1 vine of cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup rose, multiple use

2 Tbsp tomato pasete

1 Tbsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

2 cans, 14oz peeled, whole san marzano tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a large cutch oven, heat evoo to just shimmering, add onion, carrot, celery and leek. Sauté until translucent.

Add ground beef and 2 tsp salt. Continue to sauté, until beef starts to brown. Once beef starts to sauté add garlic and 1/2 cup of rose.

Once beef is fully browned add tomato paste, oregano and parsley. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.

Add in fresh tomatoes and mushrooms. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.

Add canned tomatoes, chopped, chicken stock, 1/2 cup roe, 2 tsp salt and simmer for 30 minutes.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to simmer and add cream. Bring back to a boil. Reduce to simmer and let go for 15 minutes.