Braised Beef Ragu
Hearty, savory, satisfying, and cooked slowly all day are adjectives I look for in winter dinners. Seasonal eating to me is more than just eating what’s growing at the time, but about eating according to what our bodies crave. In cold, dark weather I crave meals like this one that feel like a warm hug. Grass fed chuck roast, paired with bone broth, is full of the full spectrum of goodness found in meat; protein, minerals, and fat soluble vitamins in an easily digestible form. Piled on top of some brown rice pasta and topped with shaved parmesan it makes the perfect meal to cap of a cold winter’s eve. It’s not too shabby as lunch the next day either ;)
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
2 pounds chuck roast
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 28 ounce jar whole peeled tomatoes
1-2 cups broth
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
10 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon hot sauce (we’ve used cholula or love bird sriracha)
1 box of your favorite pasta
lots of fresh parmesan
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast. Heat the butter in the pan and brown the roast on all sides. Then add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano, broth, coconut sugar, red wine vinegar, fennel seeds and hot sauce. Add the lid and pop in the oven. Roast for about 3-4 hours. Check it every hour to flip the roast and check the liquid amount. It should be about 1/4 way up the side of the roast. It’s done when it shreds apart easily. Pull it out of the liquid and shred on a cutting board. Remove the herb stems at that time. If there is a lot of fat resting on the surface of the sauce you can use a ladle to remove as much as you’d like. Add the meat back in a stir to combine. Serve over the cooked pasta with a shower of fresh parmesan.
