No Wine Beef Ragù
No Wine Beef Ragù is a rich, slow-braised pasta sauce built entirely without red wine, letting deeply browned chuck roast, aromatic vegetables, and San Marzano tomatoes take center stage. The beef is seared until golden, then gently cooked in the oven with thyme, bay leaves, beef stock, and a touch of balsamic for balance until fork-tender and easy to shred. Finished with fresh basil and parmesan, this hearty, comforting ragù clings beautifully to any pasta and delivers classic Italian depth with a clean, beef-forward flavor.
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven 4-6 quarts
Ingredients
- 2 lb chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 large carrot small dice
- 2 medium yellow onions small dice
- 2 stalks of celery small dice
- 4-5 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 3 1/2 tbsp neutral oil I used avocado
- 2 tbsp Clear Liquor wine, or white wine vinegar (optional for deglazing)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 ounces san marzano whole tomatoes Crushed by hand (fill the can with a little water and swirl around to get remaining tomato juice out)
- 20 ounces beef stock
- 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 basil leaves chiffonaded
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper ground works fine as well
- 2 lb pasta of your choice
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pre Heat oven to 350 F
- Season Chuck roast cubes heavily with kosher salt and black pepper and set aside 15 minutes before cooking.
- In a 4-6 qt dutch oven, over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp neutral oil and sear beef on at least 3 sides until golden brown (may take 2 batches don’t overcrowd the pan). Pull out the beef and set aside, draining half of the residual fat.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add another tbsp of oil and introduce onions, celery, and carrots, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the fond. (brown bits on the bottom of the pan) To assist in this process you can add 2 tbsp of Clear Liquor, wine, or white wine vinegar which will aid in deglazing the pan.
- Once liquid is evaporated, add thinly sliced garlic and stir until incorporated with the rest of the veggies. Make a well in the center of the pan add ½ tbsp of oil and add tomato paste lightly frying (about 60 seconds) before stirring it in until incorporated. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes before adding crushed tomatoes, Beef stock, sugar, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Cover and transfer to a 350 degree oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until desired tenderness.
- Once removed from the oven, remove the lid and pick out bay leaves and thyme. Separate beef from sauce into a separate bowl and shred. If the sauce has reduced too far, add ¼ cup of water or beef stock at a time and stir until it has reached desired consistency. Add balsamic vinegar and taste for additional seasoning. Reintroduce the beef and stir until all incorporated.
- Boil off pasta and strain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water. In a saute pan over medium heat add desired amount of sauce, a splash of pasta water, and a portion of pasta. Toss and add a healthy pinch of parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of basil and toss until incorporated.
- Serve garnished with more parmesan and basil and enjoy!