I love a slow cooked meal. There’s nothing I find more comforting than something that has been lovingly simmered for hours, like this Slow Cooked Chuck Ragù. It takes relatively minimal effort to get going, with most of the cook time being hands off. The result is a melt in your mouth meat sauce that’s hearty and luxurious, perfect for a date night or just a cozy meal at home. My favorite part is that this recipe makes EXCELLENT freezer leftovers, so it’s meal prep friendly!
What is ragù?
Ragù is a slow cooked, meat based sauce from Italy. It’s traditionally made with a sofritto (finely chopped celery, onion, and carrot), meat, and liquid from wine, broth, and canned tomatoes. This recipe isn’t completely traditional (sorry Italians, I love you!), but is still packed with rich, deep flavor thanks to the slow cooking process.
Ingredients for the perfect ragù
Like I said, this chuck ragù isn’t completely traditional, but is fairly close. This version uses boneless chuck meat. Chuck is one of my favorites to use for slow cooking, as it’s relatively budget friendly, and becomes super tender when cooked for a long time. I like to buy 7 or 8 lbs of chuck at a time at Costco, and then I freeze half, and use the other half for this.
The rest of the ingredients for this slow cooked ragù are relatively simple and common pantry staples, but they pack a big punch for this dish. The sofritto sets up a flavorful base, made from celery, onion, and carrots sautéed together. We also will add leeks and garlic for extra flavor. You can also add or swap in other firm root veggies like parsnips or rutabaga.
The sauce then calls for tomato paste, fresh thyme, red wine, broth, a Parmesan rind, and crushed tomatoes. You can use any red wine you like here, just as long as it is not too sweet. It certainly does not need to be an expensive wine. I usually opt for a basic Pinot noir or Merlot, depending on what is laying around our house. For the broth, you can use beef, chicken, or veggie. Beef works great to really amp up the meaty flavor, but anything will work here. Use what you have.
The Parmesan rind is optional, but highly recommended if you have one lying around. One of my kitchen hacks is to store parm rinds from spent pieces of cheese in the freezer until I’m ready to use them in something like this slow cooked chuck ragù.
The heavy cream at the end is arguably the least traditional part of this recipe, but I do find that it adds an extra layer of delicious silkiness to the finished sauce.
Tool’s you’ll need for this chuck ragù
You don’t need much special equipment for this recipe, but I do recommend you use a heavy bottomed pot like a Dutch oven. I suggest using a minimum 5 quart capacity, though I personally like to go even bigger and use my 8 quart to have the extra space.
How to make this ragù
Making this slow cooked chuck ragù is simple, as most of the cooking is hands off.
First, start by searing the meat. This is just done for color and flavor, not for doneness. Do it in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan. We want the meat to get a nice caramelized exterior on all sides.
Remove the meat once it has been seared, and then add the sofritto mix of the celery, onion, and carrot. Once sweated down with some salt and pepper, add the leeks and garlic. Once fragrant, add the tomato paste and thyme, and cook until the tomato paste darkens to a brick red.
Next, add all the liquids: the wine, broth, crushed tomatoes, and the Parmesan rind, if using. Now we bring the ragù to a low boil, then down to a simmer, and cover. Cook for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
Once the meat is tender, shred it up into bite sized pieces, and reduce the sauce, uncovered, for about 30 more minutes. You can remove the parm rind and bay leaves now too. Once the sauce has reduced down, add the cream, and cook that in for about 10 minutes. Taste the ragù and correct for salt and pepper before removing from heat.
I like to serve my ragù over pasta, usually a long noodle like papardelle, though a robust shape like rigatoni works nicely too. You could also serve this over mashed potatoes, or polenta. When serving, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and freshly grated parm.
Storing this slow cooked ragù
This dish is not only a delicious and rich dinner, but also doubles as excellent meal prep. You can serve immediately with pasta or another carb, or you can freeze leftovers for an easy and comforting meal.
I like to keep the ragù and pasta separate, and to combine the portions as I serve them. This keeps the pasta texture from changing too much upon reheating.
Ragù keeps incredibly well, and the flavor will continue to develop over time . Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze the ragù on its own without any pasta for best reheating results. I prefer to reheat on the stove from frozen, but you can also use a microwave.
More cozy dinner recipes
Looking for more cozy dinner recipes? Why no try:
Winter Veg Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie
Roast Chicken With Lavender and Honey
I hope you enjoy this Slow Cooked Chuck Ragù! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creations, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other home cooks and bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about what you made!
