Ragu is an Italian meat dish covered in sauce served on pasta.
Today I used one of my favourite cuts of meat, ''shin on the bone''. It use to be one of the cheap cuts, like a lamb shank, but it is now known as a cut that is extremely, full of flavour and now a little more expensive. Honestly, I would rather eat a long and slow cooked meat meal that melts in your mouth, than a steak ( even though steak, if cooked properly can melt in your mouth)
''Neat Meat'' at The Landing in Remarkables Park is where I bought these amazing size shin on the bone.
It is really important to brown your meat first when cooking slow cooked meats. This gives so much flavour. Notice the marrow in the middle of the bone's. Yum, don't throw this out, just scoop it out at the end of cooking and place it into the pot.
Pasta - I have made pasta for this recipe. It is best to use wide ribbon pasta because they catch all the sauce. If you don't make it, just buy the fresh pasta sheets and cut them into wide ribbons.
Beef Ragu and Pasta Recipe
Serves 4 - 5 people
2 large Beef shin's
coconut oil or butter for frying
1 large leek - washed and sliced
4 carrots - peeled and cubed
2 sticks celery - chopped - I used young celery and the leaves from my greenhouse
Handful mushrooms - I used brown mushrooms
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
3 cups beef stock (not salty) option - you could use 1 cup of red wine in this.
Method
1 - In a hot pan melt the oil and fry the beef shin's until brown - this is for flavour
2 - In a large heavy base pot melt oil and cook the carrot, celery and leek for 10 minutes until soft. Then add the herb, garlic and cook for a few minutes.
3 - Add the stock and tomato paste and bring up to the boil.
4 - Place the beef shin's on top. As it all cooks the liquid will cover the meat.
5 - Simmer on really low for 3 1/2 - 4 hours with the lid on. It is ready when the meat is falling off the bones. If you don't have a heavy base pot you can cook it in an oven dish covered and bake it for 3 1/2 hours at 150c.
6 - Remove the meat and pull it apart with 2 forks. Place back into the pot. Taste and season.
Brown your meat. Prepare the vegetables.
Cook the carrots and leeks for 10 minutes with the lid on until soft, then add the other ingredients.
Once the meat is falling off the bones, remove the meat and using two forks pull the meat off then place into the pot. Don't forget to take out the marrow if it has not fallen out already.
Serve on large pasta ribbons. For gluten free pasta, you can buy Gf lasagune sheets, cook them and slice into wide ribbons.
Pasta Recipe
300 gr high-grade flour
1 tsp sea salt
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 - 2 tbsp water
Method
1 - Mix flour and salt on a clean bench.
2 - Make a well in the middle and drop in the eggs.
3 - With one hand slowly without letting the egg run all over the bench, mix in the egg's.
4 - Slowing bring in the side's of the flour.
5 - Add the oil and 1 tbsp water, mix.
6 - Knead until smooth adding the other tbsp of water if needed or more flour if to sticky.
7 - Cover and rest for 20 minutes in the fridge.
Start mixing the flour into the egg's.
Knead until smooth adding more flour if you need to. Cover and place into the fridge for 20 minutes. Roll out or use a pasta machine making long thin strips and then slice in long wide ribbons.