Add As A Trusted Google SourceThis beef ragu is the coziest meal! Beef chuck roast is slow cooked in a rich tomato sauce made with red wine and finely chopped veggies until it’s fall apart tender. Serve it over pasta, spaghetti squash or polenta!
Fall-Apart Tender Beef Ragu
This beef ragu is one of those home-cooked meals that gives me all the cozy feels. It’s what I make on a Sunday afternoon when there’s a chill in the air and my kids and I want to snuggle up under blankets on the couch watching a movie while dinner simmers away on the stove.
The secret to making the best beef ragu is to simmer it low and slow so that the flavors develop and the beef gets so tender that it falls apart at the touch of a fork. It cooks in a rich, savory pasta sauce, perfect for serving with a long noodle like pappardelle or fettuccine. The thick sauce coats the pasta and some crusty bread is a must for wiping our plates clean – not a drop of that savory sauce is left behind!
This feels like a special occasion meal, but it’s actually so simple to make. I love to serve it with my Homemade Breadsticks and a Simple Green Salad. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Boneless Beef Chuck Roast: This is the same cut of beef you would use for making Pot Roast. It’s ideal for slow cooking to break down the connective tissues so that it gets nice and tender, plus the fat marbling keeps it moist and flavorful.
- Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper: For seasoning and searing the beef.
- Onion, Carrot, Celery: Dice these up small so that they almost melt into the sauce.
- Garlic: I use a generous amount of fresh garlic for flavor. I love garlic, thanks to my Italian roots!
- Tomato Paste: Adds richness and makes a thick, hearty sauce.
- Red Wine: For depth of flavor. If you prefer to cook without alcohol you can substitute low sodium beef broth (just know you’ll sacrifice a bit of flavor).
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Add the tomatoes along with their juices.
- Seasonings: We don’t need much in the way of seasonings because the beef and other ingredients provide so much flavor. I use a bit of dried oregano, dried thyme and two bay leaves.
- Balsamic Vinegar: I stir in a tablespoon of good-quality balsamic vinegar after cooking to brighten up the sauce. The balsamic also adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the acidity of the tomato sauce.
Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Beef Ragu
Sear the beef. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cut the chuck roast into 4 pieces and season on all sides with the salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pan and sear on all sides until browned. Remove the beef to a clean plate.
Sauté the aromatics. Add the finely diced onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook, stirring often, until softened. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan. Add the tomato paste and red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This cooks off some of the raw tomato flavor and releases the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the sauce.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme and bay leaves. Return the beef to the pot, along with any juices from the plate. Cover and cook over low heat (it should be simmering very gently) for 2.5-3 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork. You can uncover the pot during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking to thicken up the sauce if needed.
Shred the beef. Remove and discard bay leaves. Transfer the beef to a bowl or cutting board and shred it with two forks, discarding excess fat. Stir the beef back into the sauce in the pot. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed, along with the balsamic vinegar. Then serve over pasta, spaghetti squash or polenta and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Beef Ragu Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-2.5 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon good-quality balsamic vinegar, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the beef pieces on all sides with the salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pan and sear on all sides until browned, 2 minutes per side. Remove beef to a clean plate.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2-2.5 pound boneless beef chuck roast, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.1 cup diced yellow onion, 1 large carrot, 2 ribs celery, 5 cloves garlic
- Add the tomato paste and red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.6 ounce can tomato paste, 1 cup red wine
- Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme and bay leaves. Stir. Return the beef to the pot, along with any juices from the plate.28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves
- Cover and cook over low heat (it should be simmering very gently) for 2.5-3 hours, until beef shreds easily with a fork. You can uncover the pot during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking to thicken up the sauce if needed.
- Remove and discard bay leaves. Transfer the beef to a bowl or cutting board and shred with two forks, discarding excess fat. Stir the beef back into the sauce in the pot.
- Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. If the sauce tastes a bit flat, stir in the 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.1 teaspoon good-quality balsamic vinegar
- Serve beef ragu over pasta (pappardelle or fettuccine are my top choices), spaghetti squash or polenta and enjoy!
