beef ragù chiantigiana

This recipe is easily halved, but even if you’re cooking for fewer people, you might as well make a whole batch and freeze the leftover sauce.

YIELDS: about 8 cups, enough for about 1 lb. of pasta; serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lb. beef chuck or 4 lb. packaged ground chuck
• 2 to 3 Tbs. olive oil; more as needed
• 1 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
• 2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 2 cups Chianti or other light bodied dry red wine
• 2 cups canned puréed tomatoes
• 2 cups homemade or lower-salt canned beef stock
• Unsalted butter, 1/2 Tbs. per serving
• 1 lb. pasta, cooked al dente
• Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  If using beef chuck, cut it into 1-inch chunks, leaving on some of the fat. In a food processor, pulse the chunks in batches, about five times for a few seconds each time; set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pot. When the oil is hot, add just enough of the meat to make one layer. If using packaged ground meat, don’t crumble it; instead, break it into pieces (about 1 inch) to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat all over, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the first batch of meat to a bowl and sear the remaining meat in batches, if necessary, adding more olive oil as needed. In the same pot, sauté the carrot, celery, and onion until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Return all the seared meat to the pot. Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and marjoram and sauté briefly until fragrant. Add 13/4 cups of the wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Let the wine reduce until it’s almost gone, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the tomato purée and simmer the ragù, uncovered, for 11/2 to 2 hours. As it cooks, juices will evaporate; add 1/2 cup beef stock periodically (to total about 2 cups), letting it reduce after each addition. After 11/2 to 2 hours, the meat should be tender and the flavors melded. Add the remaining wine to taste toward the end of cooking to enhance the ragù’s wine flavor, but allow some simmering time for the wine to cook off. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
4. Immediately before serving, whisk 1/2 tbs. butter per serving into the sauce; toss with the pasta. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan, if you like.