Description
Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragu: A Comforting Italian-Inspired Feast
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 – 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 4 – 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Brown the Beef: Start by heating the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, brown the beef cubes on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.
2. Sauté the Veggies: In the same skillet, cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits. Pour the veggie mixture into the slow cooker.
3. Add the Remaining Ingredients: To the slow cooker, add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Stir everything together until well combined.
4. Slow Cook to Perfection: Cover the slow cooker and cook the Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragu on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
5. Shred and Return: Remove the beef cubes from the slow cooker, shred them with two forks, and then return the shredded beef to the sauce. Stir to combine. Discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig, if used.
6. Serve and Enjoy: Toss the Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with your favorite cooked pasta, then top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.
Notes
Choose the right cut of beef: Chuck roast is the ideal choice for its perfect balance of flavor and tenderness when slow-cooked.
Substitute beef broth for wine: If you prefer not to use wine, you can replace it with an equal amount of beef broth.
Adjust seasoning to taste: Feel free to add more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to suit your personal preferences.
Store and reheat with ease: The ragu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 80mg