Slow Cooked Meat Ragu

Slow Cooked Meat Ragu

For slow cooking I find that meat on the bone tends to stay moister and end up much nicer than diced meat. Plus the bones are there to help flavour the sauce. Win win!

per person:
300-400g (11-14oz) meat on the bone
1-2 pieces aromatic veg, diced
1 cup liquid
1/2 – 1 tablespoon flavouring

1. Place meat, aromatic veg, liquid and flavourig in a slow cooker or oven proof dish.

2. For the slow cooker, cover and cook on auto for 10-11 hours or until meat is meltingly tender.

3. For the oven, add in 1/2 cup of water per person, cover and bake at 120C (250F) for 6-8 hours or until meat is meltingly tender. Add in a little water if it starts to dry out.

4. Taste, season and serve hot.

Variations

meat – beef short ribs, osso buco, lamb shanks, lamb neck chops, pork ribs, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, chicken marylands, beef shin.

aromatic veg – onions are my first choice, but carrots or celery could also be used.

liquid – canned tomatoes, tomato puree, wine, water, balsamic vinegar, stock, tomato paste or a combination of these.

flavouring – bay leaves, chilli, rosemary, thyme, preserved lemon, spices such as coriander seed, cumin seed, fennel seed.

other possible inclusions – dired apricots, prunes, carrots, parsnip, potatoes, mushrooms, sliced fennel.

vegan / vegetarian – use 2 largish field or portabello mushrooms instead of the meat or 1 medium eggplant per person sliced into rounds.

Leftover Potential?

Brilliant!. Will keep in the fridge for a week or so. Like most stews it will improve with age.

Problem Solving Guide

too dry – top up with a little water if it’s drying out. And if you’re using the oven make sure you add in the extra 1/2 cup water in the beginning.

too oily – next time trim the meat to remove excess fat before cooking. Now you can refrigerate the ragu until cold and the fat solidifies. Remove fat and reheat.

watery – this is more likely in the slow cooker as they have hardly any evaporation. Cook uncovered for 1/2 hour or longer to help reduce the sauce.

meat tough – this means it hasn’t been cooked for long enough. Keep cooking until you’re happy with the texture.

Serving Suggestions

Either serve on the bone on top of a bed of greens or cooked legumes or mashed potato. OR shred the meat form the bone, discard the bones and serve as a sauce for pasta.

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